LABJ Insider: Net Zero Accelerator Opens Call for 2022 Cohort
By Stephanie Barbaran
L.A. has pressing concerns and competing priorities in the form of its housing crisis, economic growth, environmental goals and more. But it also has numerous companies and organizations working to make progress in these areas. One such organization is the U.S. Green Building Council Los Angeles, which launched its call for its 2022 Net Zero Accelerator cohort on Jan. 13. The call for entries closes March 20.
USGBC-LA describes the goals of the program as making “zero carbon, zero energy, zero water and zero waste buildings a reality.” It has focused on themes such as building decarbonization, sustainable infrastructure and clean construction. Past cohort members, such as Westwood-based CarbonBuilt Inc., have gone on to develop their brands and win competitions like those held by Culver City nonprofit XPrize Foundation.
“The built environment remains one of the most challenging areas to get new technology to market, and people are starting to wake up to the fact that buildings account for more than 40% of our greenhouse gas emissions,” Ben Stapleton, USGBC-LA executive director, told the Business Journal via email. “Framing and facilitating the conversation around a pilot the right way between a startup and building owner or manager is critical.”
One of the surprising developments to come out of the pandemic is that more people are embracing these ideas and potential collaborations to improve air quality, for example. And building owners are seeking additional technological advancements to make their properties attractive to prospective tenants….