Tonjes, a custom builder in Austin, Texas, told the high-ranking state officials that NAHB continues to play a leading role in promoting green building. And to demonstrate, he spoke in detail about the ANSI standard for residential green building now in development. (See "Residential Green Building Standard Readied for Public Comment" in this issue for more).

Tonjes also lauded the dozens of green building programs in which NAHB members participate. The networking and education they provide adds to the green knowledge base of home builders and encourages them to reach higher, he said during his presentation. The conference attracted 33 of the nation’s second-ranking state officials.

His convincing evidence of the success of voluntary programs sparked the officials to amend a proposed climate change resolution to encourage states to practice and promote sustainable building practices and encourage the use of voluntary energy efficiency standards developed through an accredited standards organization.

The resolution will be sent to the energy committees of both houses of Congress. “There’s a lot of confusion in the marketplace, and getting the message out about healthy competition over expensive mandates helps raise the profile of our successful green building programs and partnerships,” Tonjes said.