by Brianna Crandall — May 13, 2011—The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps will aim for LEED Gold certification for all its new buildings beginning in 2013, announced Navy Secretary Ray Mabus at the U.S. Green Building Council’s Annual Government Summit just held in Washington, DC. According to Secretary Mabus, by fiscal 2013 the Navy will require every new building to earn LEED certification without increasing the department’s budget.
“It shouldn’t cost any more, particularly in this economic environment, to build buildings that are sustainable,” Mabus said. “But it’s going to require some creative contracting, some creative building and construction practices.”
The Navy and Marine Corps are hoping to sharply reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. Mabus set out five energy goals for the Navy and Marine Corps in 2010, including that by 2020 at the latest, at least half of all its energy will come from non-fossil fuel sources and at least half of its bases will be at net zero in terms of energy use.
