Arizona leading in Green States

Arizona has been quietly engaged in the new green economy for almost a decade when a handful of people joined together to ignite innovation and ingenuity in the design and construction of green buildings. And finally, it's really paying off for the entire state.

In just eight years, the Arizona chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council has grown to more than 1,200 members who represent every facet of the built environment, from architects to landscapers. They know that what we build matters.

In the United States alone, buildings account for 72% of our electricity consumption and 38% of all carbon-dioxide emissions. Working together, Arizona's advocates for a green economy are advancing practical and effective solutions to offset adverse environmental impacts.

When the Arizona chapter was organized, Arizona had just one building certified under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, rating system that is used to assess green-building practices. Today, there are 52 LEED-certified projects and 355 LEED-registered projects that are advancing toward this certification. The impact for Arizona's green economy is tremendous.

Our cities are helping drive this change. In 2005, Scottsdale was the first city in the nation to adopt a policy to construct its buildings to achieve a LEED Gold Certification level.

In 2006, Phoenix adopted the policy that new city-owned buildings must meet the requirements of LEED-certified ratings, and that same year, Tucson committed itself to constructing city-owned buildings to LEED Silver standards.

Recently, Tempe made history by constructing the new Tempe Transportation Center, which is one of the most energy-efficient buildings in the nation. The project stars a three-story, 40,000-square-foot office and retail complex, which is also a bus and light-rail hub. It's designed to be 52 percent more energy-efficient than traditionally constructed buildings and has the first vegetated desert green roof on a commercial building in our state.

Like the Transportation Center roof, decisions to adopt green practices usually start at the top. As more businesses factor in the savings in water and energy costs that these buildings deliver, corporations and entrepreneurs alike are realizing it makes good financial sense to adopt a green approach.

This November will be a milestone for our state as it plays host to the prestigious 2009 Greenbuild International Conference & Expo. It is expected to bring 30,000 professionals to Phoenix in the fields of construction loans, energy, community planning, product development, sustainability and other related fields to hear top international speakers and see the latest technology.

Being chosen to host Greenbuild '09 confirms that Arizona is recognized for its leadership in green building. All this action indicates that we are at a tipping point where sustainable practices and building green are becoming mainstream.