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The document details the transformation of Portland's Pearl District from an industrial area into a high-density, mixed-use neighborhood. It highlights the 'Brewery Blocks' as a model for sustainable development, featuring LEED-certified buildings and a district-wide chilled water plant. The analysis emphasizes the role of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and Local Improvement Districts (LIDs) in funding infrastructure and the Portland Streetcar. It also tracks demographic shifts, noting a significant increase in population and college attainment rates between 1990 and 2015, while discussing the resulting challenges of gentrification and housing affordability.

The document outlines a comprehensive set of circular economy interventions for the City of Cape Town, categorized by the principles of prioritizing regenerative resources, stretching product lifetimes, and using waste as a resource. Key initiatives include the Green Procurement Action Plan, the transition to electric vehicles, the development of repair hubs and equipment libraries, and the implementation of organic waste diversion targets.

The document highlights how current life cycle assessments (LCA) in the Canadian built environment can mislead decision-makers due to data gaps and a lack of transparency. It specifically notes that LCAs often ignore biogenic carbon emissions from wood products—which can account for up to 72% of a product's total life cycle emissions—and overlook regional variations in material production and disposal. The briefing recommends that the federal government invest in updated regional and national LCA inventories and prioritizes energy efficiency and material longevity as the primary drivers for decarbonizing buildings.

The GSA's National Deep Energy Retrofit (NDER) program demonstrated that deep energy retrofits can achieve significantly higher savings than typical federal projects, with 10 GSA ESPC projects averaging 38% savings compared to 21% in other agencies. A stakeholder workshop identified key barriers in project delivery, team dynamics, integrative design, operations and maintenance (O&M), and project economics. Recommended improvements include transitioning to whole-building performance contracts for O&M and combining energy efficiency contracts with appropriated renovation funds to incentivize deeper savings.

The RMI Headquarters is a 4,000-square-foot experimental bioshelter in Colorado designed for extreme resource efficiency. It utilizes passive solar design, superinsulation, and advanced glazing to eliminate the need for a conventional heating system, achieving a 99% reduction in space- and water-heating energy. The structure integrates a residential home, a year-round greenhouse for food production, and an office space. Key technologies include krypton-filled Heat Mirror windows, a 1,500-gallon superinsulated water storage tank, and a combination of grid-interactive and stand-alone photovoltaic systems. The document details the building's construction, including its 16-inch thick masonry walls with polyurethane foam cores, and provides economic data showing that the efficiency investments paid for themselves in approximately ten months based on 1983-84 technology.

The text presents 'green development' as a superior paradigm for real estate, demonstrating through case studies that integrating passive design, high-efficiency technology, and human-centric planning reduces costs and increases financial returns. It highlights the economic benefits of improved labor productivity due to better indoor environments and argues that current market incentives for architects and developers are 'perverse' because they reward inefficiency. The document details specific technical innovations in lighting, insulation, and appliances, while advocating for 'New Urbanism' to reduce infrastructure costs and restore community vitality.

The report identifies nine key drivers—including energy cost savings, stakeholder demand, and smart building technology—that enable corporations to move beyond incremental sustainability gains toward higher energy performance and net-zero buildings.

The report examines the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), finding that while the organization promotes sustainable engineering in its ethics code and conferences, it lacks transparency regarding its $2.55 million investment portfolio. Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR) highlights that ASEE accepts significant funding from fossil fuel company Chevron as a "Champion Partner" and arms company Boeing as a "Contributing Partner." SGR argues that these ties contradict the goals of the Paris Agreement and pose financial and reputational risks, urging a transition toward renewable energy investments and the divestment of fossil fuel patrons.

The document outlines a 'build back safer and greener' framework for Nepal, focusing on minimizing environmental damage during post-disaster recovery. It provides sector-specific guidance on settlements, building construction, waste management, energy, infrastructure, WASH, agriculture, and education. Key strategies include the use of soil bioengineering for landslide stabilization, integrated settlement planning, and the promotion of renewable energy to reduce pressure on forests. The guide emphasizes cross-cutting issues such as gender equality, social inclusion (GESI), and climate change adaptation to enhance long-term community resilience.