The Better Building Initiative

In the time that has passed since the advent of the idea of creating a sustainable society, considerable efforts have been made to communicate the responsibility of being mindful consumers. As we strive for awareness in our individual lifestyle choices, it is essential for us to consider the choices that are made collectively. According to a report released from the White House, commercial buildings were responsible for the consumption of twenty percent of the total energy used within the United States in 2011. If this pattern of consumption were to continue for five years, the total energy used in commercial buildings alone, would be enough to provide energy for the entire county for one year. Imagine what the math would look like if we considered this same pattern of consumption for ten, fifteen, or even twenty years.

On February 3rd, the Obama Administration released a document entitled, “President Obama’s Plan to Win the Future by Making American Businesses More Energy Efficient through the “Better Buildings Initiative”. As the lengthy title suggests, the document outlined a list of proposed actions that will help to implement President Obama’s plan for “better buildings”. A few of these proposed actions include improved tax deductions for commercial building upgrades, as well as efforts to create a pilot program that will guarantee loans for commercial building upgrades. The end goal of this initiative is to employ the use of cost effective upgrades within commercial spaces, in order to achieve a twenty percent increase in energy efficiency by 2020. Please visit the White House’s www.whitehouse.gov/"Office of Media Affairs for updates and further information regarding the Better Building Initiative.