U.S. Green Building Council (USBGC)

Prize Finalist 2008

U.S. Green Building Council (USBGC)
http://www.usgbc.org/

Financial resources

Annual income USD $67, 576 939

Geographical focus

North America

Issue focus

The U.S. Green Building Council is working to transform the way buildings are designed, built and operated in order to minimize environmental damage, mitigate climate change, and improve occupant health.

Key achievements

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) green building certification system, the internationally-accepted system for green buildings developed by USGBC membership. There are projects in 69 countries.
National Green Schools Campaign
USGBC's Greenbuild International Conference and Expo: over 28,000 attendees in 2008.

Mission

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), now in its 15th year, is a nonprofit organization composed of leaders from across the building industry working to transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built, and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life.

USGBC programs are designed to drive market transformation through developing and communicating best practices in sustainable building design, construction, operations, and maintenance; providing validation of those practices through project certification; administration of professional accreditation, training, and other practical resources.

Background

USGBC includes more than 19,000 organizational members, 78 chapters, and LEED projects in 69 countries. In the past five years, USGBC's membership has quadrupled, over 5 billion square feet of building space are involved with LEED, and the annual U.S. market in green building products and services is projected to be over $60 billion by 2010.

Programs include:

LEED® green building certification system, a practical rating tool for green building design and construction;
LEED 2009, the next evolution of the green building certification system, was the result of an exhaustive, and inclusive, development process that involved the entire USGBC membership and incorporated two public comment phases. The LEED Steering Committee (LSC) is a standing committee of the Board of Directors.
Chapter Programs, which provide green building resources, education, and networking opportunities in communities;
Education Programs, providing instruction on green design, construction, and operations for professionals from all sectors of the building industry;
Emerging Green Builders, which provides educational opportunities and resources to students and young professionals;
Advocacy and outreach initiatives to publics and policymakers about green building benefits;
National Green Schools Campaign.

Management

One of USGBC's six guiding principles is to ensure inclusive, interdisciplinary, and democratic decision‐making. Consensus‐driven, the Council is as diverse as the marketplace it serves. Membership includes building owners and end users, real estate developers, facility managers, architects, designers, engineers, general contractors, subcontractors, product and building-system manufacturers, government agencies, and nonprofits. Leaders from within each of these sectors participate in the development of the LEED certification system and the direction of the Council through volunteer service on USGBC's open committees.

Partnerships

Large scale transformation of the built environment requires creating partnerships, forging alliances, and building coalitions, a collaborative approach intrinsic to USGBC's values. USGBC collaborates with its 78 chapter members as well as industry trade associations, professional societies, and other organizations. Internationally, USGBC coordinates with the World Green Building Council (WGBC), other national green building councils, governments, multinational corporations, multilateral organizations, and non‐governmental organizations to advance green building around the world. USGBC will continue to work with an ever‐widening range of public, private, and non‐profit organizations to promote the best green building solutions.

The National Green Schools Campaign has been made possible by partnerships with the National Parent Teachers Association (PTA), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the National School Boards Association (NSBA), and American Association of School Administrators (AASA) amongst others.

Impact achieved

By far, USGBC's most significant impact is on the environment. In comparison to the average commercial building, green buildings*:

Consume 26 percent less energy;
Lower maintenance costs by 13 percent;
Increase occupant satisfaction by 27 percent;
Lower greenhouse gas emissions by 33 percent.

*Source: GSA Public Buildings Service (2008).
"Assessing Green Building Performance: A Post Occupancy Evaluation of 12 GSA Buildings."

For the past five years, USGBC has been growing by 50 percent per year by every metric. For example, the nationwide/worldwide adoption of LEED led to the establishment of a World Green Building Council in response to growing international interest in green buildings and communities.

Another indicator of USGBC's far‐reaching success: USGBC's Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, provides an opportunity to connect with other green building peers, industry experts, and influential leaders, while introducing new technologies, building advancements, and products related to the green building movement. Greenbuild is a two-time IMEX Environmental Meeting Award recipient, and USGBC strives to leave a legacy of improved environmental practices in all host cities.

The National Green Schools Campaign has measurable impact in all areas of sustainability. If all new school construction and school renovations went green starting today, energy savings alone would total $20 billion over the next 10 years.

Contact

For further information please contact Maryanna Kieffer, Director of Development,
Email: mkieffer@usgbc.org