USGBC Launches its First Senior Policy Fellow Portfolio of Activities

Recently, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced the goals of its inaugural USGBC Senior Policy Fellow, including growing and developing USGBC and furthering the mission of the green building movement worldwide. Mark Ginsberg, who was named USGBC’s Senior Policy Fellow in December, will pursue an ambitious international and domestic agenda.

Ginsberg, an expert in the energy management and efficiency field, will assume dual roles. As an ambassador representing USGBC senior leadership, he will work to enhance USGBC’s international relationships, and as a senior adviser and informal consultant, he will assist with the development of strategy for sustainable green eco-cities across the globe.

“Mark is an extraordinary figure in the field of energy efficiency and renewable energy, and we count his experience and knowledge as a great asset to our organization,” said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, USGBC. “He has already made tremendous contributions toward helping us realize our goal of a sustainable built environment within a generation, and I am confident his work in 2013 will give us further momentum for protecting our planet and enhancing the quality of life for people around the world.”

Ginsberg’s focus will be on green building initiatives in China and India, working with a new U.S.-China Eco-City Council, the China Green Building Council (CGBC) and the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), among other groups. As a senior adviser and consultant supporting USGBC eco-city strategy, Ginsberg will also cooperate and confer with groups such as the World Green Building Council and C40 Cities.

“Representing USGBC, the organization that sparked a revolution in our thinking about the sustainable built environment, is a tremendous honor,” Ginsberg said. “USGBC, with its network of global partners, is actively working to address some of the greatest challenges of our age, and we are poised to build on years of success as we forge worldwide partnerships to promote clean energy and build green cities and communities.”

In India, Ginsberg is working to strengthen USGBC’s ongoing relationship with the IGBC. Ginsberg will also attend the India Green Building Congress and Green Cities Summit, continuing the alignment of the USGBC green cities effort with that of its Indian counterparts.

In Beijing, Ginsberg is speaking at the International Green Buildings Conference and will work with the CGBC, Qiu Baoxing, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, and U.S. companies to help advance short- and long-term green building strategies for China. He is also participating in the China Urban Planning Conference and assisting the China Society of Urban Studies in their development of guidelines for Chinese eco-cities, which is a critical piece of USGBC’s overall strategy in China.

Furthering his role as a worldwide USGBC ambassador, Ginsberg will support the LEED International Roundtable and International Day at USGBC’s annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo.

The LEED green building program is a global tool being successfully used in more than 135 countries. The leadership and commitment of USGBC members and volunteers, partner green building councils and others around the world help ensure global consistency and applicability for LEED. These groups and individuals are also furthering USGBC’s goal of accelerating adoption of sustainable and green building development practices worldwide.

USGBC’s approach to addressing the needs of projects in regions across the world allows for the development of solutions unique to an area while maintaining a common green building language.