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People working in green buildings think better in the office and sleep better when they get home, a new study has revealed. The research indicates that better ventilation, lighting and heat control improves workers' performance and could boost their productivity by thousands of dollars a year. It also suggests that more subjective aspects, such as beautiful design, may make workers happier and more productive.

BREEAM, the leading UK green-building rating system, has crossed the pond and is looking to take on its US counterpart LEED.

Starting Oct. 1, California's Safer Consumer Products law (also called the Green Chemistry Initiative) goes into effect, with the goal of making hundreds of commonplace consumer items safer -- from shampoos and cosmetics to cleaning supplies and food packaging.

The eco-friendly fashion company Dirtball will be made entirely in the USA. The blue jean has a green twist, as well. Dirtball CEO Joe Fox brags that the jeans are eco-friendly since they're made out of recycled water bottles (and cotton). The Green Jean just hit its $40,000 funding target on Kickstarter.

When it comes to selling products with an environmental benefit - or telling your corporate sustainability story well - words really do matter. Here at Shelton Group, we just completed our eighth annual Eco Pulse study of American consumers, and this year, we're offering a free special report that explores a topic critical to your communications strategy: the effectiveness of green jargon.

Canadian architect Michael Green wants to build a 35-story wooden skyscraper in Paris that would be carbon neutral. He and some partners have submitted the proposal as part of the Reinvent Paris competition, a revitalization project in the city. Green said constructing the building would highlight the advantages of wood in the construction of tall buildings

Today, the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) launched LEED Proven Provider, a new designation that streamlines the LEED project review process for experienced organizations that demonstrate consistent excellence in administering LEED projects. "LEED Proven Provider makes the LEED review process faster and more seamless," said Doug Gatlin, vice president of program delivery, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and GBCI. "It allows GBCI to deliver faster reviews of LEED projects while still maintaining the integrity of the LEED certification process."

Barclays and financial services company MSCI will launch a new Green Bond Index to serve as a benchmark for assessing the performance of green bond funds. The index will be comprised of fixed income projects with direct environmental benefits.

Private equity firm KKR announced that Del Monte, Dollar General, Sealy, and the 24 other companies in its Green Portfolio Program have collectively avoided more than 2.3 million metric tons of GHG emissions from 2008 to 2013, generating $1.2 billion in new savings and revenues. Companies in the Green Portfolio Program agree to assess, measure, and optimize their environmental performance in ways that improve their businesses.

Polls show that four-fifths of the country's registered voters support a Green New Deal - including, incredibly, two-thirds of Republican voters, which helps explain why Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made the surprise announcement on 12 February that he would allow the GND measure to come before the Senate for a vote.

Honda launched its "Green Path" approach-a suite of initiatives to reduce the total life-cycle environmental impact of its products and operations in North America. Notable initiatives include pledging to reduce its total GHG emissions by 50% from 2000 levels by 2050, investing $210 million in a paint facility to cut CO2 emissions in the painting process by 18% and reduce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by 66%, and more.

FALLS CHURCH, VA and WATERBURY, Vt., [April 18, 2016] - The Recycling Partnership is delighted to announce that Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. (Keurig), a personal beverage system company that has revolutionized the way consumers create and enjoy beverages, is joining its dedicated and diverse circle of members. Both organizations share a vision to enact system-wide solutions to the recycling challenges of today, working across materials and the supply chain for a bright, sustainable recovery future.

Princeton University recently installed a green roof on a new Wawa convenience store to study the benefits and cost-effectiveness. The Wawa roof stores 79,000 gallons of rainwater to help insulate the building.

Zion Research says the market for green building materials will reach $255 billion by 2020, about twice what it was in 2014. North American and Europe are the largest consumers of the environmentally friendly materials.

Poland has issued the world's first sovereign green bond. The country plans to use the proceeds to finance projects related to renewable energy, clean transportation infrastructure, and more.

North Carolina's Proximity Hotel is the first US hotel to receive the Green Building Council's LEED Platinum status, due in part to elevators that generate power and other features that help the hotel use 40% less energy than comparable competitors. "The only ambition was, let's sincerely consider sustainable practices with each of our decisions," said Dennis Quaintance, CEO of Quaintance-Weaver Restaurants and Hotels.

Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee rejected an amendment on Tuesday that would allow the federal government to allocate funds toward the UN Green Climate Fund. "The Green Climate Fund is the only multilateral institution that supports clean, resilient development around the world," said Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., adding that the US should be leading the initiative.

Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS) has been ranked as one of the greenest large companies in the world in the 2016 Newsweek Green Rankings, released today. LVS holds the #39 spot on the U.S. 500 list and the #74 position on the Global 500 list, while the company's subsidiary in Macao, Sands China Ltd., has been listed #62. This accomplishment makes Las Vegas Sands and Sands China Ltd. the highest ranked hospitality companies in the U.S., as well as in the world.

PAWTUCKET, R.I., Jun. 02 /CSRwire/ -  Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) is proud to announce it ranked No. 1 on Newsweek's 2016 Green Rankings, released today. The ranking assesses the 500 largest publicly traded companies in the United States on overall environmental performance.

The State of Green Business, 2017 Here are the 10 trends defining sustainable business, with data for a deep dive about how corporations are taking action on energy, emissions and more.