Since this past spring, the Georgia World Congress Center has been working with the US Department of Energy, Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority, Georgia Pollution Prevention Assistance Division and Georgia Department of Natural Resources to turn the convention center green. The primary goal is to facilitate energy efficiency and to further current recycling efforts throughout the 3.9 million square feet of the GWCC.

The plan is to reduce energy use by 20 percent and to reduce waste to landfills by 80 percent. Other measures underway include instituting water efficiency measures, green landscaping practices, use of materials contributing to optimal indoor environmental quality, and sustainable cleaning and housekeeping practices.

The changes taking place at the GWCC are being documented in a U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings (LEED EB) application. The initial focus is to identify simple, low-cost modifications that can be easily implemented, but can make a dramatic change on the energy efficiency, environmental impact and indoor environmental quality. "We aspire to achieve utility cost savings of over 20 percent by the time of LEED EB certifications," says John Adams, of the US DOE and LEED EB certification coordinator.

The U.S. Green Building Council held their annual international conference and expo, Greenbuild, at the GWCC this month. The show management was impressed with the headway that has been made with recycling and food composting just in the past year and encourages the center to continue with their efforts.