Key Obama Climate Strategist Carol M. Browner to Deliver Closing Address at Greenbuild Conference

Washington, DC – November 4, 2009 – (RealEstateRama) — The U.S. Green Building Council today announced that key Obama environmental adviser Carol M. Browner will be the keynote speaker at the closing plenary session of USGBC’s annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, held Nov.11-13, 2009, in Phoenix,

“The green building movement is fundamentally changing our economic and environmental future, and it’s a movement that we all must be a part of,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of USGBC. “Closing Greenbuild 2009 with Carol Browner is the perfect way to launch the USGBC and the green building movement into a new decade that will see people and policy come together to create a stronger, cleaner, more cost-effective green economy. Bolstering our economy and protecting our environment is both a private responsibility and a public responsibility — and, at the heart of it all, it’s a personal responsibility that we all must share to move our nation toward a healthier, more prosperous future.

Browner was appointed by President Obama as Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change, and serves as the head of .the White House Office of Energy and Climate Change. Browner brings vast environmental policy experience together with the administration’s vision to achieve increased energy independence and combat climate change. Browner previously served in President Clinton’s cabinet as Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 1993 to 2001. During her tenure, the longest in EPA history, she set tough air and water pollution standards while championing common sense, cost-effective mechanisms for protecting the environment.

The Arizona Diamondbacks’ Chase Field will host the opening of Greenbuild 2009, which will include remarks from Vice President Al Gore and a performance by nine-time Grammy winner Sheryl Crow. In addition to an impressive collection of master speakers, Greenbuild 2009 will feature more than 100 educational sessions, LEED and Education Provider workshops, off-site educational sessions, a two-day Residential Summit, the World Green Building Council International Congress, and tours of local green building sites throughout Arizona. Exhibitors at more than 1,800 booths will showcase some of the leading technologies and products in green design, construction and operations.

More than 20,000 are already pre-registered for Greenbuild 2009. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org and www.greenbuildexpo.org. To see presentations made at last year’s Greenbuild, visit www.greenbuild365.org.

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U.S. Green Building Council
The Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Green Building Council is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings.

With a community comprising 78 local affiliates, more than 20,000 member companies and organizations, and more than 131,000 LEED Accredited Professionals, USGBC is the driving force of an industry that is projected to contribute $554 billion to the U.S. economy from 2009-2013. USGBC leads an unlikely and diverse constituency of builders and environmentalists, corporations and nonprofit organizations, elected officials and concerned citizens, and teachers and students.

Buildings in the United States are responsible for 39% of CO2 emissions, 40% of energy consumption, 13% water consumption and 15% of GDP per year, making green building a source of significant source of economic and environmental opportunity. Greater building efficiency can meet 85% of future U.S. demand for energy, and a national commitment to green building has the potential to generate 2.5 million American jobs.

About Greenbuild
The U.S. Green Building Council’s Greenbuild International Conference & Expo convenes the industry’s largest gathering of representatives from all sectors of the green building movement. It’s three days of extensive educational programming, workshops, a vast exhibition floor and ample networking events provide unrivaled opportunities to learn about the latest technological innovations, explore new products, and exchange ideas with other professionals. Greenbuild is the three time recipient of IMEX Green Meetings Award. Greenbuild 2009 will be held Nov. 11-13, 2009, in Phoenix, Ariz. Last year’s conference in Boston, Mass. drew more than 28,000 attendees and featured more than 800 exhibit booths. Visit www.greenbuildexpo.org for more information. To see presentations made at last year’s Greenbuild, visit www.greenbuild365.org, and for a video recap, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghqw9WqZ_i4.

Contact: Ashley Katz
Communications Manager, USGBC
202.742.3738
akatz (at) usgbc (dot) org
Follow us on Twitter at @USGBC