Source: Syracuse Post-Standard
Publication Date: Sept. 5, 2007

By Rhea Jezer, Ph. D, a senior lecturer in environmental policy at Cazenovia College, and a board member of the New York League of Conservation Voters.

Today, the Syracuse Common Council Environmental Committee will be considering and most likely passing groundbreaking legislation called the Green Building Ordinance.

It is expected that the entire Common Council will also approve this at its next meeting on Sept. 10, and that the mayor will embrace this bill as well.

Syracuse has developed a reputation for innovative environmental leadership statewide under the leadership of Mayor Matt Driscoll and the Syracuse Common Council, and this legislation is a further step toward a model sustainable city.

The legislation to be passed will establish a policy for the city of Syracuse to plan, design, construct, manage, renovate and maintain its facilities and buildings to be environmentally sustainable and be held to the highest LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards possible. Kathleen Joy, chair of the environmental committee of the Common Council, has been working with community groups and coalitions to create an inclusive and far-reaching initiative.

This kind of legislation makes a great deal of sense in our current world. The investment in energy-saving and other climate-friendly technologies for green construction is modest, but can yield buildings and communities that are environmentally responsible as well as profitable, and with lower energy costs.

It also offers a healthier place to work and live. For example, the average LEED-certified building uses 32 percent less electricity and saves 350 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. This will not only save taxpayers' money in electricity costs but also make the environment healthier.

There are also financial incentives available for such construction through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

High-performance homes, schools and buildings also help create more jobs, are smart solutions to global warming and have many other benefits. For example, repeated studies have shown that test scores improve 20 percent to 26 percent for students in schools and classrooms which are "green."

To be LEED-certified, projects are evaluated within six environmental categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. The legislation to be passed by the city will require all new municipal buildings and renovations to meet at least the silver LEED standard wherever possible.

The New York League of Conservation Voters applauds the Common Council and the mayor for being so proactive. The Working Families Party and the Green Coalition initiated this legislation and NYLCV was able to broker so that all parties are comfortable with its language and standards. We should be proud to live in an area that is on the cutting edge of environmental policy.

I urge the environmental committee of the Common Council to make sure this legislation will be passed today and encourage the Common Council to follow next week and urge the mayor to immediately sign this groundbreaking legislation into law.