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Coating manufacturers have a lot at stake when it comes to green building standards.
To that end, the American Coatings Association’s internal “Green Building Workgroup” has its plate full as the General Services Administration (GSA) reviews green-building certification programs and standards for federal buildings. The review is required every five years.
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ACA |
| No fan of LEED, the American Coatings Association has its plate full, as the federal government conducts its five-year review of green-building certification programs and standards. |
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), meanwhile, is in the process of updating its LEED system, which has caused an onslaught of attention from opponents and admirers alike. ACA has aligned with the former.
The ACA’s workgroup addresses emerging green building standards and codes that contain indoor air quality and chemical requirements for architectural coatings, adhesives, sealants and other building materials. The group also advocates on behalf of the industry.
ACA Advocacy Efforts
ACA recently joined 26 organizations to form the American High Performance Building Coalition, which aims to promote the development of a sustainable-building standards based on “consensus and scientific performance data.” Like many others in the new coalition, ACA does not shy away from speaking out against LEED.
The coating makers’ group also argued its view July 10 in an online hearing with the GSA, urging the agency to reconsider “granting a monopoly to LEED for federal building.”
GSA has required basic LEED certification for federal buildings since 2003 and LEED-Gold certification since 2010.
ACA pressed GSA to take a flexible approach and recognize multiple rating systems that align with the federal government’s green building and energy efficiency goals.
The industry group also asked GSA to ensure that it adopts “consensus-based standards.”
Manufacturing Impact
Moreover, ACA said it was “deeply concerned that government agencies, such as GSA, will continue to adopt and incorporate non-consensus-based green building standards—which may have a negative impact on U.S. manufacturers—into mandatory laws, regulations, and purchasing requirements.”
The USGBC, however, is rallying its troops, too, including some 1,200 contractors, architects, government agencies and businesses. The group appealed to the GSA in a letter Wednesday to stick with the LEED system.
On Thursday (July 26), the Council also announced that LEED-certified building stock has now swelled to two billion square feet globally, with another seven billion in the pipeline.
The Council maintains that LEED-certified spaces save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce carbon emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and their communities.
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