Groups that spend at least part of their time promoting green buildings have been giving the new climate change proposal in the Senate mixed reviews. While a construction contractors association complained that the legislation would undermine efforts to build greener commercial buildings, an alliance of energy-efficiency supporters praised the measure for bolstering building codes, labeling, and retrofits. Details about the proposal and other congressional activity on green structures are included in this edition of Green Building Insider.   

Also in this issue, there is a new software tool for tracking sustainability and operational performance in existing buildings, a slew of companies recently received green building certifications, and there are several new additions to GBI's exclusive News Ahead calendar of key upcoming developments that are expected to occur in the green building community. In addition, the U.S. Green Building Council has signed an agreement that is designed to promote green buildings in Italy, GBI profiles recent legislative activity in five states, and an indoor air quality expert offers plenty of advice in an interview with GBI.