The owners of San Francisco's Parkmerced want to add nearly 5,700 homes to the World War II-era rental housing complex, an ambitious renovation that could rank as one of the greenest in the country. Over 20 years, the $1.2 billion project would take the 115-acre property off the power grid by employing wind turbines and other low-emission energy sources, slash water consumption through improved plumbing and recycling, and halve tenants' automobile use by, among other things, adding public transportation options.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom released SForward, the roadmap to achieve his environmental goal of a 20 percent decrease in emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide below 1990 levels by 2010. The plan also aims to achieve carbon neutrality for city government by 2020. SForward incorporates the environmental goals, programs and strategies of all key city departments, including the Public Utilities Commission, Municipal Transportation Authority, Department of Public Works, and the Recreation and Parks Department. In addition, the program has nearly $4 million to offer to local businesses to help with energy efficiency conversions.

The US currently has an estimated 4.5 million commercial properties, many of which were erected decades ago before sustainable, or green, designs became de rigueur. In response, the real estate industry has recently begun to turn its attention to “greening” existing buildings. LEED for Existing Buildings, or LEED-EB, the three-year-old program provides a list of steps that building owners and managers can take to operate and manage their properties more efficiently. A 2006 Green Building Council study found that by retrofitting buildings, owners can save 90 cents a square foot annually, on average, in energy and other costs and earn back their investment in 2 to 2 ½ years.     

Los Gatos Mayor Barbara Spector announced that the town would assess its carbon emissions to establish a baseline and goals for reducing them in its next budget. In her recent state of the town address, Spector announced plans to contribute to the creation of county-wide "green" building standards. The town's Community Services Commission will be the lead agency for environmental issues, but the subcommittee on the environment, climate, and sustainability will also include representatives from the Planning Commission, Parks Commission, and Traffic Commission.     

 The San Mateo County planning commission approved an ordinance that will affect remodels and new construction in unincorporated areas. Officials say it will make the county a leader in green construction. Projects can receive points for everything from drought-tolerant plants to insulated water pipes to solar panels. Under the recommendations, new homes and remodels that would add more than 50 percent of the value of a home would be required to fill out a checklist developed by the non-profit developer, Build It Green. While cities have implemented similar programs, members say the move would make the county one of the first in the state with such an ordinance.     

Orange County NY councilors are proposing measures that would require all new residential and commercial construction to meet national green building standards. The law would require that plans for new housing, new office, commercial or apartment construction over 4,000 square feet to meet the LEED standards for new construction. Builders will have to submit a LEED rating checklist and pay a fee of US3 cents per square foot up to US $15,000. If the building fails to achieve certification, the money would go into the town’s general fund.

Masdar City, an ambitious project that has set out to become the greenest of green cities leaves some practicality questions unanswered. The city, which will be built over the next 10 years, has put Abu Dhabi center-stage in the UAE's efforts to improve its environmental record. Some of the questions include how, in a city of 50,000 people and 1,500 businesses, will it ship goods around? Or even, how will people's furniture be delivered when they move in? The greatest lesson will be how a community can function - if indeed it can function - without the personal transport we have all become so reliant upon, especially during the hot months of summer in the Middle East.

Douglas Cogan, Director of Climate Change Research at the RiskMetrics Group recently analyzed the top 40 financial institutions in terms of their “greenness” His report Corporate Governance and Climate Change: The Banking Sector, looked at issues like addressing climate change, calculating greenhouse-gas emissions and setting reduction targets, support of alternative energy projects, partnerships with environmental groups and developing positions like Chief Environmental Officers. According to the report, HSBC and Citigroup were ranked at the top, while Bank of America rated highest among US institutions. At the bottom of the list were Bank of China and Industrial Bank of China.

ProLogis, the world's largest owner, manager and developer of distribution facilities, announced a new sustainability initiative requiring all of its new development in the United States to comply with environmental standards developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). As part of the initiative, ProLogis will register each building with the USGBC to be considered for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. Presently, ProLogis has 3.5 million square feet in the U.S. under design or construction for which it is pursuing LEED certification.

Chelsea Group, a building sciences consulting firm based in Maunaloa, Hawaii, has reached an agreement with CB Richard Ellis, who manages more than 1.6 billion square feet of commercial properties and corporate facilities worldwide. Chelsea Group has developed online tools for the rapid assessment of key sustainability factors that assist property owners in determining the best strategy to make their portfolio of buildings more sustainable and to achieve LEED-EB certification.