This commitment was announced in New York City at the Clinton Global Initiative Conference.

Green homes are 30-50% more energy efficient than traditional homes and when multiplied by the millions of homes USGBC plans to serve with its LEED for Homes Rating System, green homebuilding can be a major tool in efforts to address climate change.

“This year alone there were 1.9 million homes being built using 20% of the energy in the U.S.,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council.  “If we can have an impact, if we can educate consumers on green home building, we will be able to significantly reduce that energy consumption.”

The first product of this joint effort will be an online consumer education resource at usgbc.org, which will leverage USGBC’s 300,000+ website users per month. Using online educational tools, the resource will provide current and potential homeowners with credible information on how they can make their homes better, more efficient, healthier places to live.

Rising energy costs and rising concerns about climate change are driving the consumer interest in green homes.  Concerns about indoor air quality, utility bills and health are keeping them engaged.

According to a 2006 McGraw-Hill Smart Market Report, the green homes marketplace is at a “tipping point.” By mid-2007, 64% of all homebuilders surveyed reported that they anticipated to be moderately or heavily involved in green building practices. Driven by core values and consumer demand, interest and adoption is advancing rapidly among professionals in the community.

In order to support this rapidly expanding marketplace and to drive the kind of change needed to reduce energy consumption and global CO2 emissions, the residential building marketplace must quickly build capacity: both to deliver products and services and to educate consumers about what they need and where to get it.

To read more about the Clinton Global Initiative and the commitment between USGBC and Newland Communities: http://www.clintonglobalinitiative.org/NETCOMMUNITY.