Blogs

April Volunteer Opportunities - Loma Alta Park in Altadena

By Kayla Mak posted 6 days ago
One of Altadena's parks that was damaged in the Eaton Fire is reopening! Loma Alta Park is looking for volunteers during the month of April to help with: Planting Trees Landscaping Painting Murals and Sidewalks To sign up, use flyer and scan the QR code or click on the link here: bit.ly/3QIsyxK For additional questions, please email altadenaparks@parks.lacounty.gov .

LEED v5 Member ratification vote open until March 28

By Kayla Mak posted 12 days ago
Member ratification vote open until March 28 The LEED v5 rating systems have reached a new and very exciting milestone: member ratification. This final step occurs after the consensus committees vote to finalize all language, and it presents the rating systems to USGBC’s membership for final approval. Cast your vote for the adoption of the rating system language During the member ratification, all USGBC organizational members and their employees are invited to vote on the adoption of each rating system. Once approved, with more than 50% of voting members supporting adoption, LEED v5 will continue toward market launch. To participate, ...

3/13, Building Embodied Carbon Workshop

By Kayla Mak posted 12 days ago
on behalf of California Air Resources Board Building Embodied Carbon Workshop March 13, 2025 - 10:00 am - 3:00 pm The California Building Standards Commission (CBSC), on behalf of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) staff, invite you to participate in a virtual public workshop to provide input on CARB's development of a framework for measuring and reducing the net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from building materials used in the State of California. CBSC and Division of State Architect (DSA) staff will be on the working group with CARB. The workshop is scheduled to be conducted from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm on March 13, 2025. At this workshop, staff ...

Building Decarb Meeting - Title 24 2025

By Alex Authie posted 12 days ago
Hi everyone, Quick reminder for today, the Decarbonization Committee is presenting on the upcoming Title 24 changes coming January 1st so if you are a design professional, this is great for you. Enjoy. Alex Authie

Share Your Thoughts and Win a Year of Free USGBC-CA Membership!

By Kayla Mak posted 02-12-2025
Hello Members, We are conducting a survey on the Community Hub! As a valued member, your feedback really matters and will help greatly to better serve you and increase member value and engagement. We’d greatly appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to share your thoughts and recommendations on our membership program and your experience. We are providing 3 survey participants (chosen at random) one year of free USGBC-CA membership.* Take the Survey To be considered for the prize, please complete this survey by 2/26/25. If you would like the chance to win a ticket to our 2025 California Green Building Conference or Green Gala, ...

Submit Your Design for the 2025 Greenbuild T-Shirt!

By Kayla Mak posted 02-03-2025
Greenbuild's 2025 T-Shirt Design Contest Calling all creatives and sustainability enthusiasts! Here’s your chance to leave a lasting mark on the Greenbuild International Conference + Expo 2025 in Los Angeles. Submit Your Design for the 2025 Greenbuild T-Shirt! We’re looking for an original design to feature on this year’s official Greenbuild T-Shirt, which will be available for purchase during the event. How to Enter: Create an original drawing or design that reflects the spirit of Greenbuild and sustainable building. Take a photo or scan of your artwork. Email your submission to info@greenbuildexpo.com by Friday, February 28, 2025. ...

Greenbuild 2025 Call for Presentations is Open, Deadline: 2/28

By Kayla Mak posted 02-03-2025
Greenbuild 2025 Call for Presentations is Open Deadline to Submit: February 28 Greenbuild is now accepting session proposals from industry experts who want to share their knowledge about green building, design, health and wellness, architecture, construction, engineering, planning, and more. Your presentation may be featured at Greenbuild's pre-conference in-person summits or the International Conference + Expo. There are more ways than ever to share your expertise with your peers and other industry influencers. View the Information Sheet View the Session Submittal Guide Submit a session proposal here

Seeking Mentors for Tuesday 1/28 7pm at USC!

By Elizabeth Christy posted 01-22-2025
Want to help the plant?! Support students in their sustainability career path with a mentoring workshop on USC campus Tuesday 1/28/25. Register Here to Volunteer for this Event! Email ari@usgbc-ca.org for more details. Thank you!

USGBC-CA Wildfire Defense Rebuilding Support and Recovery Resources now live

By Kayla Mak posted 01-21-2025
Hello USGBC-CA Community, We are excited to announce that our Wildfire Defense Rebuilding Support and Recovery Resources page is now live on our website. This page contains matchmaking to support green rebuilding efforts, RSVP links to our Wildfire Defense trainings, and resources for recovery and rebuilding. If you would like to learn about rebuilding and wildfire resilience, RSVP to our 1/29 info session: After The Firestorm: Rebuilding for a More Sustainable, Resilient Future . We are also recruiting green building and wildfire defense experts from our community willing to offer their expertise to assist homeowners rebuild sustainably and ...

‘Seeking seed donations': The Altadena Seed Library looks ahead to regrowth

By Kayla Mak posted 01-15-2025
Seeds may be sent to 37 Auburn Ave. #8, Sierra Madre, CA 91024 c/o Altadena Seed Library Read more here .

1/17 Webinar - "Building a Life of Purpose: The Father of Green Building Shares His Social Entrepreneurship Journey with David Gottfried"

By Kayla Mak posted 01-13-2025
Register here. Date: 1/17/25 Time: 1:30pm PST Please join us for an online (Zoom) SMC presentation by sustainability champion and social entrepreneur David Gottfried. David is known as the father of the global green building movement, founding the World Green Building Council, now in over 80 countries. He created LEED building certification, and his bestselling book "Explosion Green" has won multiple awards. This event is sponsored by the Elfenworks Center for Responsible Business.

Businesses: 1/16 Valley Economic Alliance Post-Fire "Livable and Sustainable Communities" meeting on 1/16

By Julie Du Brow posted 01-12-2025
For anyone fire-affected or interested, the Valley Economic Alliance's "Livable and Sustainable Communities Meeting" on 1/16 will be in conjunction with AIA SFV, and shift the focus of this meeting to address the anticipated challenges ahead — housing development delays, labor and building material shortages, job losses, the recovery of small businesses, among other considerations . They will also discuss ways to expedite plan reviews, utilities, and fire department approvals to help speed up rebuilding efforts. https://thevalley.networkforgood.com/events/80545-1-16-25-livable-and-sustainable-communities-meeting?utm_campaign=dms_email_blast_3785632

Resources for Those Affected by the LA Wildfires

By Kayla Mak posted 01-08-2025
As we begin this new year, we want to acknowledge the challenges our community is facing, especially those impacted by the ongoing wildfires. Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to the public workers and firefighters who continue to protect and serve, and our deepest condolences are with everyone affected. This moment serves as a powerful reminder that our collective work toward sustainability and protecting our planet is more important than ever. Every one of us has been or knows someone who has been affected by climate change, today. Each effort we make contributes to building a safer, more resilient future for all of us. We encourage you to leverage the resources ...

Share Your Thoughts on What Drives Corporate Sustainability Efforts: Survey from CNaught

By Kayla Mak posted 01-08-2025
CNaught is conducting a survey to better understand what’s driving corporate sustainability efforts, the challenges companies face, and common practices across industries. The results will help CNaught publish trends, guide companies starting their sustainability journey, and support climate advocates. The survey takes less than 10 minutes to complete. Your responses will not be publicly connected to your organization in any way without your additional permission. Access the survey here: https://survey.typeform. com/to/nHa1jGZ1 . Have questions? Reach out to caitlin@cnaught.com

Due 1/7: Applications to the Greenbuild Program Working Group

By Kayla Mak posted 01-06-2025
Lend Your Voice to Greenbuild 2025 The Program Working Group (PWG) oversees delivery of educational programming intended to meet the needs of attendees at Greenbuild 2025. Members will review session proposals in all rounds of review for Greenbuild, identify key topic areas, and advise the program composition overall. Members must attend the virtual PWG retreat ( tentatively May 13th & May 14th, 2025 ) to determine the final education programming for Greenbuild 2025. In addition to overseeing the delivery of program content, PWG members will volunteer on-site as round-table hosts and/or session room monitors at ...

Apply to serve on the 2025 Greenbuild Los Angeles Host Committee

By Kim Krempien posted 01-02-2025
To all USGBC California members, Apply by Jan. 31 to take part in the 2025 Greenbuild Host Committee and help shape the biggest green building event of the year, here in Los Angeles. USGBC’s Pacific region is thrilled to have the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo   back in Los Angeles from Nov. 4–7, 2025. With the tremendous amount of green activity in the region, we need your support to show off the leadership of our community to thousands of Greenbuild visitors from around the globe. California has ranked in the Top 10 States for LEED for 14 consecutive years. We are excited to collaborate with our aligned community ...

USGBC-CA 20th Annual Green Gala & California Green Building Awards Photos

By Kayla Mak posted 12-18-2024
Thank you to our wonderful community for attending USGBC-CA's 20th Annual Green Gala & California Green Building Awards on December 11th! Please enjoy these photos from the Green Gala taken by our very own @Ling Luo . Shoutout to @Surabhi Khanderia and @Pete Marsh who are among the California Green Building Awardees!

Green Homes California Info Session: Delivering Building Decarbonization at Home - Thurs. 11/21 at 4PM (on Zoom)

By Beryl Sinclair posted 11-05-2024
Hello all, I'm Beryl Sinclair, Senior Sustainability Program Manager with USGBC California. Our Green Homes California program is hosting an info session open to all on Thursday, November 21 at 4PM on Zoom, " Delivering Building Decarbonization at Home ." Join us to learn about some of our recent work on electrification and building decarbonization in low-income communities in Los Angeles. Green Homes California drives innovative, market-leading programs in communities on the frontlines of climate change. We engage with building owners, managers, and residents to drive cultural change and education that accelerates the decarbonization of existing single- ...

Santa Monica City Services Building Almost 5 Years Later

By Jay Madden posted 11-05-2024
How does an International Living Future Institute (ILFI)-certified 1 office building perform in real life, with the added challenge of COVID? Amber Richane, the Principal Design and Planning Manager for the City of Santa Monica, answered many of these questions when she hosted a tour for USGBC-Cal’s Living Futures Committee. The Santa Monica City Hall East Building was officially opened on Earth Day 2020, to an empty audience. COVID had sent all but a few essential employees home. The building was occupied by 8 persons for almost two years, before employees began to return to work. This site has now been operating for over 2 years in a hybrid work environment. ...

Invitation to Participate in a Harvard Research Study

By Kayla Mak posted 11-04-2024
Sharing a sustainability research participation opportunity from Alexia: My name is Alexia Freeman and I am a master's student at Harvard University conducting research for my thesis on sustainable behavior change. I am excited to announce a study in collaboration with The Carbonauts aimed at understanding how their “Sustainability Plan” workshop can foster short-term behavior change. This one-hour workshop educates participants on what comprises their carbon footprints and the most impactful areas to reduce their personal greenhouse gas emissions. I am seeking individuals who are willing to complete this workshop on November 21, 2024 from 9-10 ...