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Beyond Waste

Recommendation GB 3 — Provide incentives that encourage green design, construction, and deconstruction and begin removing disincentives.

If green building is to become a mainstream practice, incentives must be available to developers, contractors, and homeowners to defray some of the up-front costs of building green.

  • Utilities, governments, and others create and promote incentives.
  • Staff continues to identify federal, state, and local incentives already in place, and develop new incentives. Effective incentive programs may include rebates, fast-track permitting, and tax cuts.

Washington’s regulatory climate should encourage, not simply accommodate, green building.

  • Continue to identify and remove regulatory barriers that prohibit and/or contradict green building standards in the State Building Code, local building codes and other applicable state regulations, specifically those related to land use, zoning, stormwater management, water resources, and shoreline protection.

Milestone GB A: Washington continues to be a leader in green building.

Milestone GB C: Government continues to identify and remove regulatory barriers to green building.

Milestone GB G: At least five buildings are built to the Living Building standard in Washington.

Milestone GB H: At least 50 percent of all local governments in Washington have adopted green building policies and/or incentives.

Milestone GB J: Authorities adopt policies that require low-impact (LID) strategies to be included in building design and maintenance.

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