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SOUTH CAROLINA RECOGNIZES GREEN BUILDING INITIATIVE'S™ GREEN GLOBES™ SYSTEM
—State Becomes Eighth in U.S. to Formally Include Green Globes in Law—

Portland, Ore. (July 26, 2007) — South Carolina recently became the eighth state in the United States to formally recognize the Green Building Initiative's (GBI) Green Globes environmental assessment and rating system in legislation.

The state, which passed its "Energy Independence and Sustainable Construction Act of 2007," will require all new public buildings over 10,000 square feet, major public renovation projects involving greater than 50 percent of the building, and K-12 schools, to achieve at least two Green Globes or an equivalent rating beginning July 1, 2009.

"We applaud the state of South Carolina for passing the "Energy Independence and Sustainable Construction Act of 2007," said Ward Hubbell, president of the GBI. "They've clearly recognized the important role states play in making our country more sustainable. By providing multiple options in the marketplace they can help drive continuous improvement and encourage more people to design and build green. It's an example we hope others will follow with their own sustainability initiatives."

South Carolina joins Arkansas, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as states which have formally recognized Green Globes in green building legislation or regulation.

For more information about the Green Globes environmental assessment and rating system, or the GBI, visit www.thegbi.org.

ABOUT THE GREEN BUILDING INITIATIVE: The mission of the Green Building Initiative is to accelerate the adoption of building practices that result in energy-efficient, healthier and environmentally sustainable buildings by promoting credible and practical green building approaches. A not-for-profit education initiative, the GBI is supported by a broad cross section of organizations and individuals with an interest in residential and commercial construction. For more information on the Green Building Initiative, please visit www.thegbi.org.