Buildings in the U.S. account for 39% of CO2 emissions, 71% of electricity generated and 70% of landfill waste. A solution
and quantifiable answer to climate change is green buildings, both commercial and residential. Green buildings require less
natural resources, energy and water; are more comfortable to their occupants and generate less waste. Green buildings can
reduce energy reliance and greenhouse gas emissions while also improving the productivity and health of the occupants.
The USGBC in 2006 set an ambitious target for the building industry. The goal was to obtain LEED certification for 100,000
commercial establishments and 1,000,000 homes by 2010. Toward this end, the LEED Portfolio Program was conceived by USGBC.
With this in place, companies and building owners could incorporate LEED into existing and new building projects by adopting
a cost–effective and streamlined certification process.
In November 2006 the pilot program was launched which included 40 companies that represented 1700 buildings with about
1.35 million square feet of building space. The pilot participants were a cross section of hoteliers, corporations, financial
institutions and other professionals associated with the building industry.
Some of the Program Goals are:
- To aid participants in incorporating green building design and associated components into standard business practices
adopting LEED technical standards.
- To provide a cost–effective route toward widely spread LEED certification.
- To reward companies for meaningful green building contributions and endeavors.
- To generally foster an awareness of the importance and significance of green building.
For more information on LEED and the USGBC please visit www.USGBC.org.
