Benchmark Study on Green Buildings - Royal Architectural Institute ...

know that they are not acting alone against climate change, and that they are part of the
entire sustainability and anti global warming movement. Humans are social animals, and
need to feel like they are part of something bigger. Each additional person may not
accomplish much on their own, but together the results can be enormous. As the saying
goes, ‘the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,’ and this is the attitude the green
building and sustainability movements need to succeed.
Appendix A: Green Building Council & Related Organization In-Depth Descriptions
A-1 United States:
The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) (www.usgbc.org) was founded in
1993, becoming the first National Green Building Council in existence. It is a national
non-profit organization which operates and makes decisions based on the consensus of its
member organizations. Acting as the United States’ premier resource for green building
news and information, the USGBC is a coalition of American building industry leaders
working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy
places to live and work. The USGBC is also a member of the World Green Building
Council (WorldGBC) (www.worldgbc.org).
USGBC membership operates by word of mouth, with members varying from one-man
businesses to multinational corporations. Its policies focus predominantly on the
commercial sector and not residential (although these policies do exist) because the
commercial market is less resistant to change, with more activity and less diversity. In the
United States, the commercial sector accounts for 50% of total energy use, which also
makes it a great place to start. The key here is to start where success is most probable,
and move on from there.
With nearly 6,000 member organizations, the USGBC brings together a diverse
community of professionals from businesses that design, construct, manage, finance,
insure, own, and occupy buildings as well as government agencies and nonprofit
corporations. These leaders have learned that you can green the environment and green
your bottom line, leading to benefits and cost savings in the long-run. The USGBC offers
a community of professionals who share similar goals about advancing more sustainable
building practices. Member committees help shape green building products and services,
and with chapters in almost every state, support groups for networking education, and
green promotion are easy to find. The educational tools available through the USGBC
provide access to knowledge that can be used immediately to move forward in the world
of green building. USGBC members play a vital role in promoting green policy initiatives,
which are increasingly popular topics among federal, state and local governments.
Members also provide industry leadership to accelerate market transformation as they are
able to display the USGBC Member Logo on promotional materials to let clients know
about their green commitments. The USGBC offers publications, research and other
informational tools to keep its members informed of the latest developments in green
building. Additionally, the USGBC produces numerous newsletters containing recent
green building issues, updates and information. Membership in the USGBC also reduces
costs for LEED reference guides, training workshops, accreditation exams, project
registration and certification, and other USGBC events such as Greenbuild.
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