Global awareness of the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental degradation is driving the need for rapid formation of Green Building Councils around the world.

"We have roughly 3,650 days to do something very drastic about this climate change problem or else hundreds of thousands, millions of people, our children, our grandchildren are going to die or be displaced in catastrophes that will occur because of climate change.”
Ira Magaziner, Director of Clinton Climate Initiative, in his opening remarks to the USGBC's Greenbuild 2006 conference.

Enthusiasm is so great for green building and this rating system that California and Arizona have mandated that all new public buildings be designed and built to earn silver certifications. The town of Scottsdale, Arizonapassed a resolution in March that all ofits new public buildings must earn gold certifications. Builders as far away as India are regularly using the rating system to certify their buildings.

Sectors Expected to Have Green Building Growth
• Education
• Government
• Institutional
• Office
• Healthcare
• Hospitality
• Retail
Source: McGraw Hill Construction 2007.

The three largest segments for nonresidential green building construction —office, education and health care—will account for more than 80 percent of total nonresidential green construction in 2008.  
Source: FMI’s 2008 U.S. Construction Overview.

What’s Driving Green Building?
These factors are expediting the growth of green building:
• Unprecedented level of government initiatives heightened residential demand for green construction Improvements in sustainable materials.
Source: FMI’s 2008 U.S. Construction Overview.