The ordinance requires developers and renovators of larger residential and commercial buildings to achieve progressively higher levels of LEED certification from the US Green Building Council in the coming years.

?EUR??,,????'??We?EUR??,,????'???ve got to stop playing within the margins and get serious about addressing our reliance on fossil fuels,?EUR??,,????'?? Newsom said. “A lot of people don?EUR??,,????'???t realize that their homes and businesses also create a major carbon footprint?EUR??,,????'???by proposing these strict green building standards for our city, we?EUR??,,????'???re saying enough is enough. It?EUR??,,????'???s time to tackle global warming and climate change on all fronts.”

If approved, the ordinance would require large projects ?EUR??,,????'??+ commercial and residential projects over 25,000 square feet or 75 feet in height ?EUR??,,????'??+ to meet the base level of LEED certification starting in 2008. Large commercial projects would have to achieve LEED Silver certification starting in 2009 and LEED Gold staring in 2010. Large residential projects would have to achieve LEED Silver starting in 2010.

Mid-sized buildings would have to complete a LEED checklist but would not be required to achieve any LEED credits or points (the basis for the rating system) until 2009. Starting then, mid-size commercial buildings would have to achieve three LEED credits. The bar would be raised to four points in 2010, six points in 2011 and seven points in 2012.

Cumulative benefits this ordinance is expected to achieve through 2012 include: reducing CO2 emissions by 60,000 tons; saving 220,000 megawatt hours of power; saving 100 million gallons of drinking water; reducing waste and storm water by 90 million gallons of water; reducing construction and demolition waste by 700 million pounds; increasing the valuations of recycled materials by $200 million; reducing automobile trips by 540,000; and increasing green power generation by 37,000 megawatt hours.

Source: GlobeSt.com