Los Angeles Considers Stricter Green Building Standards

Two Los Angeles City Council committees have voted to require all major commercial and residential construction projects meet green building standards, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.

Under the proposed ordinance, privately built projects more than 50,000 square feet would have to meet a standard of sustainability by incorporating a checklist of green building practices in building plans.

The checklist includes sustainable building techniques such as use of recycled materials, use of solar panels, natural lighting and low flow toilets.

The checklist is the same as the one used by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in its green building certification program—Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), according to the report.