Yudelson UK Column Predicts How New Obama Presidency Will Handle Green Issues
What will become of green buildings, energy policy and climate change responses in the new Obama administration?
It’s clear that there will be a renewed focus on energy efficiency and climate change. However, with key sectors of the US economy in the toilet, probably for his entire first term, a President Obama’s degrees of freedom are limited.
We’re likely to see more symbolism than concrete steps such as cap-and-trade systems and carbon taxes (forget that latter item; it’s a political death trap in the US). What I advocate for the building sector instead is the European approach found in building labeling, per the EU’s Energy Performance in Buildings Directive.
What we will see is far more emphasis on using government facilities as a model for green building and energy retrofits. Look for a modest program of grants to state and local governments (which are basically broke because of reduced tax collections) to retrofit their facilities for energy efficiency and LEED certification.
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