October 9, 2009

Members
Bob Hart
Chris Bartle
Arlene Baxter
Heather Brown
Virginia Butler
Richard Curtis
Liz Fitzgerald
Renee Kunz
Jimmy La Peter
Darrell Lew
Cheryl Murakami
Dave Rutledge
Staci Siddhadas

C.A.R. Staff
Anne Framroze
Elizabeth Gavric
Paula Hess

Background
In the United States, homes are responsible for 21 percent of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, rising energy costs and a decision by California’s Public Utilities Commission mandating that new housing developments are "zero net energy" by 2020 have caused consumers, homebuilders, homeowners, property managers, REALTORS^®, local governments, schools and others to focus on the energy-efficiency of homes and buildings.
Today, a home’s carbon footprint, indoor air quality, and energy-efficiency may factor into consumers’ home-buying decisions. Consequently, consumers will seek a REALTOR^® who is knowledgeable on these topics and whose sensibilities on sustainability align with theirs.
That’s why real estate is a green issue.

Task Force Mission
In 2008, C.A.R.’s President Bill Brown created a Green Task Force, with the intent that the group would spearhead efforts to educate and inform members about environmental issues, so they in turn might advise clients on environmental issues.
President Brown stated that one year after the task force’s inception, he wanted members to be more aware of green real estate and sustainability, and have the tools to educate their clients about these topics.
As such, the Green Task Force adopted the following mission statement:

The mission of the Green Task Force is to
1. Encourage the greening of C.A.R. business practices.
2. Raise awareness and educate members and consumers about environmentally sound practices.
3. Encourage C.A.R. to form strategic alliances in support of environmentally sound practices.

Strategic Objectives
The group also adopted the following strategies:
1. To raise awareness among members and consumers about environmental issues, by utilizing C.A.R.’s varied communication vehicles to educate various target audiences. Provide practical information and green-themed resources to local associations, members, and consumers.
2. To encourage the greening of C.A.R. business practices, conduct energy audits of C.A.R. facilities. Additionally, ascertain ways in which to make C.A.R. and subsidiary programs, products, services and events more green, and implement as feasible.
3. To foster longer-term impact among members and consumers, investigate various existing organizations that have particular expertise in green-related endeavors, and form strategic alliances if mutually beneficial. Ascertain ways in which to actively engage on green issues with local associations, NAR, and other states.

Completed Objectives
Since January 2008, the Green Task Force has realized many of its goals. By the third quarter of 2009, the Green Task Force and C.A.R. have implemented the following:
*  Integrated green objectives into C.A.R. budgets to encourage the adoption of green in its activities.
* Added a Green Tip to each edition of C.A.R.’s weekly e-newsletter, Newsline (Q2 2008; ongoing).
* Created a Green Blog (Q2 2008; ongoing).
* Created a Green Web site (Q3 2008).
* Created “Green Principles,” an aspirational guide for members offering information about green real estate in terms of working with consumers (Q2 2008).
* Developed a survey of members’ baseline awareness of green real estate topics and eco-consciousness (Q2 2008).
* Included one green-themed article in each release of ClientDIRECT^TM (Q2 of 2008; ongoing).
* Provided informational collateral materials for consumers at the 2008 Southern California Home Buyer’s Fair (for example, LEED, Go Solar, California!; U.S. Dept. of Energy; and Association of California Water Agencies).
* Partnered with One Million Trees to provide trees to residents of the City of L.A. at the 2008 Southern California Home Buyer’s Fair.
* Dedicated an entire issue of California Real Estate magazine to green-themed content, including convened a Green Roundtable with four green-minded practitioners (California Real Estate magazine/Sept. 2008).
* Showcased green real estate in the October 2009 issue of California Real Estate magazine, which contained four green-specific articles.
* Identified “green” legislation and ensured it was represented and presented to C.A.R.’s Land Use Committee (ongoing).
* Incorporated greener business practices at the Association’s 2008 annual EXPO. C.A.R. is committed to incorporating these principles, whenever feasible, at future events and business meetings. At the 2008 EXPO, the following occurred:
·* Provided green-themed educational sessions such as “Green Keynote: Sustainable Lives: Live Simply So Others Can Simply Live,” presented by urban environmental activist and actor Ed Begley Jr.
* Provided registration bags made from seven recycled two-liter plastic bottles and un-dyed fabric.
* Provided badge holders made from two recycled two-liter plastic bottles and printed badges on Eucalyptus-based paper.
* Used water dispensers used instead of plastic water bottles, saving approximately 2,500 bottles, and used paper cups made from recycled paper.
* Donated leftover food each day to a local charity to reduce landfill waste.
* Printed banners printed on recycled materials and used recycled carpet throughout exhibit hall and green pavilion.
* Used recycled drapes for every exhibit booth.
* Placed 50 recycling bins throughout convention center.
* Distributed eco-friendly water bottles at C.A.R.’s booth.
* Created a video featuring four green-savvy REALTORS®.
* Created and distributed the brochure “Green Living Tips: Simple Steps to Green Your Home and Your Wallet.” A customizable brochure was later made available for order via an electronic portal.
* Launched a Green Forum at June Business Meetings, and invited StepUp2Green, a Monterey Bay group to present its voluntary program to encourage green enhancements (Q2 2009). This forum will continue at future meetings.
* Created Your Guide to Greening Your Association, a brochure to assist local associations of REALTORS^® in efforts to go green, and distributed this to 2010 incoming presidents (Q3 2009).

C.A.R.’s Offices
Sacramento Office: C.A.R.’s Sacramento office is located at 980 9th St. in Sacramento, and is managed by CB Richard Ellis, a firm committed to sustainability. The building, including the C.A.R. office, has been ENERGY STAR-rated for the past two years and is currently applying for LEED^® certification.
Los Angeles Office: Prior to the formation of the Green Task Force, the Los Angeles staff began upgrading its four-story circa 1964 office building. Many of these capital improvements were green and have resulted in better energy efficiency. In 2006 and 2007, the following upgrades and installations were made: water-saving urinals and toilets; an HVAC control system and variable-speed fan motors; T8 fluorescent lights with low-energy ballasts; new air ducts; interior/exterior water-based paints; environmentally friendly carpet; padding, and mastic; and energy-efficient appliances.
Since the creation of the Green Task Force, C.A.R. has implemented the following:
* Started recycling warehouse pallets, computer monitors, printers, and other electronic equipment.
· Replaced an informal recycling program for cans, bottles, and plastic bottles with a formal recycling program.
·* In June 2008, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power performed an observatory audit of the C.A.R.’s Los Angeles office to spot obvious energy “leakers” and “vampires.” The DWP reported that C.A.R.’s efforts placed the organization ahead of many L.A. businesses. These efforts resulted in a reduction of nearly 28 percent in kilo-watt hours of electricity consumption, as measured from June 2007 through May 2008.
* Used low-VOC paint throughout building.
* Resealed 172 windows to reduce energy waste.
* Instituted program to recycle toner cartridges.
* Begun recycling cardboard boxes.
* Provided public transportation assistance for employees.
* Installed 20 water-saving toilets and eight water-saving urinals.
* Retrofitted elevators with energy-saving control panels.
* Replaced exit signs with units using low energy power.
* Installed T8 fluorescent lights with low-energy ballast.
* Installed variable-speed HVAC fan motors to reduce power consumption.
* Installed HVAC control system in 2007 to reduce energy consumption of overall system.
* Installed water treatment system for the water tower and boiler.
* Replaced ductwork in many areas to reduce air loss and increase efficiency.
* Prohibited individual heaters in offices, to reduce energy consumption.
* Installed new insulation product to aid in reduction of energy loss.
* Replaced carpet in elevator cabs with carpet made from 80 percent recycled materials and installed with environmentally friendly glue.
* Used ENERGY STAR-rated appliances in employee kitchen.

Modifications to business practices currently underway or being explored:
Performing second round of replacement for lights throughout building.
Exploring the use of an economizer, which uses outside air to cool the building.
Exploring the use of a trash compactor, which would reduce the number of trash pickups per week.
Installing an economizer in the vending machines, which will turn on the refrigeration in the machine as needed, instead of allowing it to run constantly.

Summary
Given the productiveness of the Green Task Force’s efforts, many of the group’s goals have been realized. C.A.R. continues to promote awareness of green real estate, and C.A.R.’s business practices have become greener and are integrated throughout the organization. Moreover, many local associations have looked to C.A.R. for guidance and have “gone green”—forming their own task forces or altering their business practices.

Task Force Recommendations
As part of its final report, the Green Task Force provides the following recommendations to continue to work toward greener practices and policies, with the understanding that some of these recommendations require further analysis to assess their fiscal consequences and impact on the organization’s overall strategic objectives. We acknowledge that some of the following recommendations require additional capital expenditures and will impact the organization’s overall long-term strategic objectives:

That C.A.R. continue to integrate greener objectives, as appropriate, into various program budgets.
Rationale: Members of the Green Task Force feel a continued methodology applied to incorporating green practices into existing programs is necessary to achieve long-term change.

That the goals of the Green Task Force be further articulated and advanced by the Land Use and Environmental Committee.
Rationale: Members of the Green Task Force feel that the goals of this committee are most aligned with those of the Green Task Force.

That C.A.R. continue to raise awareness of green business practices among members.
Rationale: Members of the Green Task Force believe that educating members is critical to the realization of its goals. Thus, C.A.R. should continue to communicate the benefits of sustainability to members and to educate them, so they can better serve their clients.

That C.A.R. conduct a cost analysis and explore the feasibility of installing a photovoltaic system (or another source of green power generation, such as wind turbines) at its Los Angeles facilities’ parking lot.
Rationale: In addition to generating green energy for the facility, it could, as a secondary benefit, create a covered parking area for employees.

That C.A.R. encourage all MLSs in the state to incorporate “green” into existing similar fields or consider adding new green fields.
Rationale: Members of the Green Task Force feel that these enhancements would help members to better market properties, represent their clients, and serve a new segment of the market.

That green objectives continue to be encouraged and articulated at the local association level. To that end, the Green Task Force recommends that sustainability remain a topic at the Association Executive and Board President committee meetings each year.
Rationale: Members of the Green Task Force believe it is important that these goals trickle down the Association to the local levels, where they can be adopted by local associations and individual agents.

That C.A.R. explore the feasibility of further decreasing its use of “virgin” paper stock in its offices, based on the results of a cost analysis.
Rationale: Members of the Green Task Force feel it is important that C.A.R. further incorporate sustainability goals and articulate these savings to staff.

That C.A.R. be encouraged to promote the paperless transaction, and explore the feasibility of incorporating RELAY™ and ePUBS into the dues as a member benefit.
Rationale: Members of the Green Task force believe that since viable options to go paperless now exist, C.A.R. should move in this direction by incorporating these into the dues, thereby increasing usage among the membership.