AB 888: Green buildings: Take the LEED

Commercial buildings are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, mainly through their heavy energy use. Thousands of architects and engineers have collaborated through the U.S. Green Building Council to develop LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) guidelines to improve the environmental and energy performance of new buildings; the Governor’s Executive Order also requires state buildings to meet LEED standards. AB 888 (Lieu) would have required large commercial buildings approved for construction as of 2013 to meet the LEED gold rating.