How Big a Deal is the Green New Deal?

“How Big a Deal is the Green New Deal?” 
Commercial Property Executive – April 18, 2019

The proposed Green New Deal calls for a makeover of the U.S. economy and a transition to carbon neutral energy in a decade. Though it is nonbinding and its ultimate fate in Congress is in question, the document is stirring a national policy debate. No small part of that conversation is about commercial real estate. Introduced by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), the nonbinding resolution calls for the upgrade of all existing buildings in the U.S. and building new buildings with maximum energy and water efficiency. According to the U.S. Green Building Council, commercial buildings account for 39 percent of carbon emissions in the U.S.