A statement from Rick Fedrizzi, CEO of USGBC:

USGBC is invigorated that COP21 has succeeded with a new climate deal. We congratulate French President Francois Hollande, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiane Figueres and COP21 President Laurent Fabius for their excellent diplomacy. We are proud that the United States played a significant role in brokering the agreement, enabled by demonstrated actions and policy measures such as the Clean Power Plan, and backed by leading members of the private sector, cities and states.

We have long known that we have choices in creating and shaping our built environment. The hard work of USGBC members and our legion of global LEED users has demonstrated that buildings can be designed, built and operated to reduce their climate impact, while also creating jobs, profit and value. As successful as we’ve been, we can’t rest until every building project is approached with the goal of climate regeneration.

The Paris Agreement marks the first consensus among nearly 200 nations of all sizes and geographies to endeavor to limit global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees C. They agreed that all must transition to clean energy and hit the peak of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible, and they each offered their own pledges. Meeting these initial pledges will be hard, and will be just the starting point. But today, let us celebrate the Paris Agreement and pledge our continued work toward the transition we now, officially, agree is needed.