Interior minister makes green building codes compulsory

Interior Minister Arye Deri signs the regulations necessary to make green building codes, introduced on a voluntary basis 15 years ago, compulsory for all building and renovations.

The regulations, whose gradual implementation will start in March, follow the recommendations of an inter-ministerial steering committee headed by the Environmental Protection Ministry, which concluded that reduced energy use could save 5.9 million tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere annually by 2030.

Israel’s homes, hotels, offices and other buildings are currently responsible for 40 percent of the country’s energy consumption.

The regulations address everything from energy, water and waste to materials and innovation.

— Sue Surkes