The EBie Awards™ are a new nationwide juried competition for people working in Existing Buildings (hence the EBies) who have made great strides in improving their environmental performance but who may otherwise go unheralded. “New buildings grab most of the attention, but the only way we'll reduce energy use and carbon emissions, particularly in dense cities, is by improving the buildings we already have,” says Urban Green Council Executive Director Russell Unger.

The EBie Call for Entries opens on February 1st; complete details are at EBies.org. Please share this announcement with friends and colleagues!

Special thanks to our Lead Sponsor Carrier and Media Partner GreenSource.

Hard to believe, but Urban Green Council is now in its 10th year of operation. Read about where we are and how we got here in our first-ever Annual Report (download). Special thanks to our members, sponsors and volunteers, who helped make our many 2010 initiatives possible.

Your support is critical to expanding our sustainability agenda in New York and beyond. Please consider making a fully tax-deductible contribution to one of our Donor Funds: Advocacy, Education, or Research.

Our fall conference took an informative and eye-opening look at how measures like New York City’s Greener, Greater Buildings Plan stack up against similar efforts in other major global cities via two compelling panels: The Role of Policy and Codes and Market Forces and Finance.

If you missed out on the event or want to take a look back, check out our newly released video and photos of the conference.

A Study of the Impact of Building Envelope Penetrations on Thermal Performance



Conducted by Steven Winter Associates for Urban Green Council, the study found that the average room air conditioner leaks as much air as a six square inch hole—and increases total annual heating costs by $130-$180 million in New York City alone.

Read the NYTimes article or the complete report for details.