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Contact: Mike Gehrig
(312) 988-2065
mgehrig@thegbi.org

Green Building Initiative™ Signs Partnership Agreement With Energy Star®
-- EPA and DOE Partner with GBI to Promote Sustainable Development and Energy Efficiency --

Portland, Ore. (March 24, 2008) – The Green Building Initiative (GBI), a not-for-profit education and marketing initiative dedicated to accelerating the adoption of green building practices, announced today the signing of a formal memorandum of understanding (MOU) with ENERGY STAR, a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy.
                                                                     
ENERGY STAR was established in 1992 by the EPA as a voluntary labeling program, with the goal of identifying and promoting energy-efficient product, homes and commercial and industrial buildings.  Its mission is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help protect the environment through the promotion of superior energy performance in the commercial, industrial and institutional markets.

As part of the agreement, GBI will work with ENERGY STAR to:

• Encourage GBI members to join the ENERGY STAR partnership;
• Measure and track the energy performance of facilities through the use of tools such as those offered by ENERGY STAR and the GBI, including the Green Globes™ environmental assessment and rating system;
• Develop and implement plans consistent with the ENERGY STAR Energy Management Guidelines and GBI/ANSI standard to achieve energy savings; and
• Support the ENERGY STAR Challenge, a national call-to-action to help improve the energy efficiency of America’s commercial and industrial buildings by 10 percent or more.

"We're thrilled to have the support of ENERGY STAR and believe this new partnership will benefit both organizations as we strive towards the common goal of a better built environment,” said Ward Hubbell, president of the GBI. "This agreement reflects the GBI’s commitment to encourage the mainstream building community to measure, track, and improve energy performance using established, practical tools like the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager and Target Finder, which are both accessible via Green Globes.”

The partnership between the GBI and ENERGY STAR reflects a broad framework for the two organizations to enhance their working relationship while also supporting their individual efforts related to the common goal of building sustainability.

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.

ABOUT ENERGY STAR: Energy Star was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Today, the Energy Star label can be found on more than 50 different kinds of products, new homes and commercial and industrial buildings. Products and buildings that have earned the Energy Star designation prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the government. Last year alone, Americans, with the help of Energy Star, saved about $14 billion on their energy bills while reducing the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 25 million vehicles.