SACRAMENTO, Jan 13, 2010 -- UPI


California's new green-leaning building code would reduce the state's greenhouse gas emissions substantially, a state environmental board said.

The statewide building code adopted this week would cut greenhouse emissions by 3 million metric tons by 2020, the California Air Resources Board estimated.

New codes require energy audits for buildings over 10,000 square feet and mandates 50 percent of construction site waste go to recycling, LegalNewsline.com reported Wednesday.

The code mandates plumbing strategies that reduce indoor water usage and use of eco-friendly paints. The code also allows for local governments to push the standards higher if they choose to do so.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said the code adopted by the Building Standards Commission was a "first-in-the-nation mandatory green building standards code (that) ... lays the foundation for the move to greener buildings constructed with environmentally advanced building practices that decrease waste, reduce energy use and conserve resources."

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