Ten American cities have promised greener buildings

Los Angeles

Washington - Mayors of ten major cities in the United States committed on Wednesday to achieving a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from heating and air conditioning of buildings. By implementing energy-efficient technologies and utilizing renewable energy sources, cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and Boston plan to limit the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. Large buildings have a significant share of the emissions that contribute to global climate change.
The mayors of the three aforementioned cities, as well as Atlanta, Denver, Philadelphia, Houston, Kansas City, Orlando, and Salt Lake City, aim to achieve a similar reduction in harmful emissions as if a million cars disappeared from American roads. According to estimates by non-governmental environmental organizations involved in the project, residents of dozens of cities will save one billion dollars (over 20 billion crowns) annually due to this initiative. In addition to other sponsors, the project is supported by the foundation of former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Last year, Los Angeles became the first major American city to require owners of new or renovated buildings to use materials for roofs that reflect sunlight, thereby saving on air conditioning costs and minimizing its ecological impact. Chicago, Boston, and Philadelphia have recently approved standards that allow the city to measure how much energy any building consumes and then pressure their owners to make operations more efficient.
While large industrial companies are the biggest producers of carbon emissions in the U.S., the use of fossil fuels for energy generation for heating, air conditioning, or lighting buildings is also a significant source of greenhouse gases.