HOMEBUILDERS NOT GOING GREEN

Study: Top homebuilders fall short on green features
December 7, 2010 (USA Today)

"America's top homebuilders are offering more energy efficient homes but still fall far short with other green practices, says a new report that ranks the 10 largest publicly-traded companies.

"The homebuilders scored an average of 6 points on a 42-point scale that looked at how they use water, energy, land and building materials as well as how they affect climate change, according to [A Green Recovery For America’s Homebuilders?] by Calvert Investments, a Maryland-based investment firm that did an initial analysis in 2008. The industry would have fared worse without the top two scorers, KB Home and Pulte Homes…"

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"In the last couple of years, each company has moved to increase energy efficiency, a home feature that's easily quantifiable for consumers, says study co-author Jennifer Green…All of the homes now built by KB Home meet the U.S. government's Energy Star standard, indicating they're at least 20% more efficient than regular new homes, said Jeffrey Mezger, the company's president and CEO. It's also just completed four houses near Sacramento, Calif., that have earned the Environmental Protection Agency's WaterSense label -- at no extra cost to buyers…

"The Calvert study also finds…[1] While all 10 homebuilders have made some effort to develop environmental policies or practices, or to offer environmental products, there is strong differentiation in the level of commitment to sustainability and the penetration of ‘green’ homes in each company's product mix…"

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"…[2] Homebuilders are not measuring and disclosing their impact on the environment in a comprehensive manner…[The] analysis looked for environmental performance data points that homebuilders use to measure and manage their footprint, but nearly all homebuilders had no relevant data…

"…[3] Whereas [the] last report showed a preference towards regional policies and programs, homebuilders are now making company-wide, national sustainability commitments that pledge full product participation in energy, water, and climate change initiatives."