Page 112 - The Green Building Bottom Line The Real Cost of Sustainable Building
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GREEN FROM THE INSIDE OUT 91
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80
60
40
20
0
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
(NOV.) (MAR.)
PARTNERS
Figure 3.2 Companies in the EPA Climate Leaders Program.
emissions, though it does require yearly follow-up with the EPA and a strong com-
mitment to accurately include and audit all emission sources.
The WRI publication A Service Sector Guide to Greenhouse Gas Management is a
do-it-yourself manual for service firms to create their own greenhouse gas reduction
plan. The easy-to-read publication provides a program similar to Climate Leaders but
is written more for internal use. Unlike Climate Leaders, it does not provide publicity
or technical support (and it doesn’t have reporting requirements). WRI identifies
heavy industry as a leading source of GHG emissions and acknowledges that many
business-based GHG programs focus on manufacturers and utilities. 17 However, cli-
mate change is a broad issue with many contributing factors, including emissions from
service sector companies such as banks, law firms, retailers, and real estate man-
agers. 18 In fact, buildings are responsible for over half of U.S. greenhouse gas emis-
sions, and over 76 percent of all power plant electricity is used to operate buildings.
Thus there are substantial GHG reductions available through changes in service sec-
tor energy use and the products and services offered.
The WRI guide identifies a process similar to the Climate Leaders process, but goes
further into building the business case internally. The guide also gives detailed analysis
on establishing the process for a carbon footprint, identifying the following seven steps:
