IRVINE, CA-If you're looking for real estate investments in states with high sustainability practices, you might consider California. The Golden State is the #1 state in the country for recycling and earned high ratings for both renewable energy and an overall “best” rating for “green” practices, according to mphonline.org, a website devoted to information about Master's in Public Health degree programs. California topped the list for percentage of waste recycled at 68%, and ranked third in the nation for renewable energy at 635,062 billion BTUs. In addition, the state was eighth in the nation for gasoline use at 414.4 gallons per capita.

The site also ranked Western states Oregon, Washington and Wyoming as best overall in sustainability. Other states that had “best” overall rankings were South Dakota, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Alabama and New York.

Other factors the site measured include residents per method of mass transit, percentage of surface waters with impaired or threatened uses, pounds of carcinogens released into the air and annual Co2 emissions in metric tons. California ranked last in Co2 emissions, 37^th in water quality and 25^th in air quality—areas where there is need for improvement.

Green standards are achieving ever-higher significance in commercial real estate. “I think people are much more conscientious about being green and more energy efficient,” Jeff Ingham, senior managing director for Jones Lang LaSalle based here, tells GlobeSt.com. “That's a kind of lifestyle change across the board—not just in commercial real estate.”

Ingham adds that being green is not so much an office-building trend as a global trend about being more conservative with energy and resources. “People are taking their existing buildings and making them more efficient.”

RiverRock Real Estate Group in Newport Beach is one property-management group that preaches green practices to its clients, a company spokesperson tells GlobeSt.com. We were unable to reach the firm directly before deadline to gain more details on this information.

As GlobeSt.com reported earlier this week, Skanska USA president Mike McNally announced he was resigning from the US Chamber of Commerce because of its backing of the American High-Performance Building Coalition, a lobbying organization that opposes USGBC's LEED version 4. Worse, in McNally's view, the AHPBC, which formed this time last year and consists of some 27 industry associations including the American Chemistry Council, appears to be taking aim at the use of LEED in government buildings. If true, it would undercut one of the chief green building standards accepted in most markets around the world.

Produced by MPHOnline.org

This interactive map shows the rankings of all 50 states in each of the “green” categories. ***Map courtesy of mphonline.org.

Instant Insights /

CA Wins for Recycling, Renewable Energy

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