The National Institute of Building Sciences
commends the White House on a new Executive Order to address the impacts of
climate change.
On November 1, President Barack Obama released
the Executive Order, "Preparing the United States for the Impacts of Climate
Change.” The Order calls for the establishment of an interagency Council on
Climate Preparedness and Resilience; examination of existing federal programs
for opportunities to address climate change-related risks; and providing data,
information and risk-based decision support tools to assist government and the
private sector in preparing for the impacts of climate change.
"The National Institute of Building Sciences has
long supported the development of coordinated and collaborative approaches to
assure the nation’s built environment is prepared for the numerous risks it may
face,” said Institute President Henry L. Green, Hon. AIA. "This new Executive
Order provides government agencies and the private sector with the direction
necessary to address the current and emerging challenges facing our built
environment.”
In a letter addressed to the co-chairs of the
newly established Council on Climate Preparedness and Resilience, Green outlined
the importance of mitigation activities and highlighted the 2005 report by the
Institute’s Multihazard Mitigation Council (MMC), which found that every dollar
invested in federal mitigation activities resulted in four dollars in
savings.
"Almost forty years ago, the U.S. Congress
established the Institute to improve the built environment,” explains Green.
"That continues to be our mission today, and we stand ready to assist the
Council on Climate Preparedness and Resilience however needed.”
Congress established the Institute to engage the
public and private sector in advancing building sciences and technology to
improve the built environment. Over its nearly four decades, the Institute has
developed numerous tools and resources—a number of which specifically focus on
hazard mitigation—for communities; building designers, owners, contractors and
operators; and federal agencies.
In addition to the MMC report, Green’s letter
highlighted several of those Institute programs focused on improving building
resilience, including tools to evaluate buildings for climate-related risks.
See the Executive
Order. Read Green’s letter to
Council Co-Chairs.