United States Ambassador to Finland Bruce Oreck met with NAHB CEO Jerry Howard and the Construction, Codes and Standards staff at the National Housing Center on May 9 to discuss green building initiatives and ways to showcase the green products of association members.

Oreck, a former builder and a member of the family of vacuum cleaner manufacturers, has been asked by the Obama Administration to head the League of Green Embassies as part of the National Export Initiative.

In that role, Oreck said he wants to invite members of NAHB's Leading Suppliers Council and other associates to participate in the effort to green U.S. embassies and housing for embassy staff around the world.

“The program offers an unprecedented opportunity for U.S. companies working in the clean energy and green building sectors to place their products and technologies in U.S. embassies, which then can be used to showcase those technologies and support additional  sales in foreign markets,” according to the National Export Initiative. 

If successful, the League of Green Embassies program will:

• Advance the presidential mandate to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in buildings of the U.S. government
  
  
• Demonstrate the capabilities of U.S. products and technologies to the world market
  
  
• Increase the exports of U.S. products and services in line with the National Export Initiative

The program is also supported by the Department of Commerce. 

Howard plans to discuss the initiative at a meeting with the Leading Suppliers Council during this week’s spring board of directors meeting in Washington, D.C.

For more information, e-mail Giuliana Nava at NAHB, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8182.