Q&A: Is Green still the way to go?

Conversation with: Ward Hubbell, chairman of the Green Building Initiative

Q. The momentum for “green” initiatives has been building for a few years. How could the current economic crisis slow or speed the “green” revolution?

Hubbell: While green building may seem counterintuitive for a corporation or home builder looking to cut costs in challenging times like these, it’s actually not.
    A high performance structure may cost more to build—between three and five percent by most estimates—but, done right, it will generate operational savings that more than make up for the initial investment over time. And of course the benefits don’t stop there.
    When the term sustainable development was first coined in 1987, it linked environmental, economic and social issues and created a goal  of development that meets the needs of the present without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It comes to mind now because our economic, environmental and social issues remain inextricably linked and because high performance building has the potential to be part of the solution on all fronts.
    Among other things, operational savings provide a needed return on investment, while efficient buildings use less energy, which reduces carbon dioxide emissions and helps in the fight against global warming. They also increase the focus on clean energy, which helps to reduce our reliance on foreign oil, which is important for a variety of economic and social reasons. With water shortages now common, efficient use of water is important environmentally, socially and economically and I think we’re all well versed with the need both to choose wood from sustainably managed sources and to use those resources wisely.

Q. What types of practical, short-term actions can companies take to support going green?

Hubbell: I think one of the biggest hurdles, and one we focus on at the Green Building Initiative, is convincing people that going green doesn’t have to be difficult and expensive. It certainly can be both of those things, but there’s also a tremendous range of practical and affordable options.
    If you’re talking short term actions related to existing buildings, I’d suggest using the new Green Globes rating system for Continual Improvement of Existing buildings, taking the 30-day free trial and beginning the process of assessing the building’s strengths and weaknesses as well as opportunities for improvement. By setting a baseline and prioritizing improvements, most people will find that it isn’t necessary to completely shift the way a business is operated to have a significant impact. In fact, I’d be willing to bet that, if most people took a close look at their operations, they’d realize that a lot of things they already do in the name of quality or efficiency would also qualify as green.

Q. What is the difference between GBI and a program such as LEED?

Hubbell: Obviously, there is some similarity between the GBI and organizations such as the U.S. Green Building Council (which markets the LEED system). We’re both private sector, non-profit organizations that offer tools for assessing and rating green structures, and I think we share the common goal of a much greener built environment. The GBI’s Green Globes rating tool has its own unique characteristics—such as the fact that it’s web-based, affordable and has a design guidance feature that offers suggestions for making a building more sustainable—but the more important point is that together, Green Globes and LEED meet the needs of a much broader segment of the design and building community than LEED would alone.

As in other segments of society, healthy competition among rating systems will drive improvements, lower costs and benefit the ultimate consumer, which in this case is our shared environment.  I also believe it’s necessary to motivate the kind of innovation—both separately and collectively—that our nation needs to address crisis-level problems such as climate change.

In addition to providing a greater range of options for design and building professionals, an increased level of competition in the green rating field has already stimulated some exciting advancements in the green building arena. These include:
    •    Movement toward the development of true consensus standards for green building.  The GBI was the first organization of its kind to subject a rating system to the rigors of an independent, third-party, codified and consensus-based process under the rules of ANSI.  Other organizations have since pursued a similar path.

    •    The creation of practical, user-friendly tools to allow owners and designers to consider the “cradle-to-grave” environmental impacts of building materials.  With life cycle assessment tools recently developed by the GBI, designers can now make decisions based on the energy, air, water, solid waste and climate change impacts of more than 400 commonly used building assemblies.  We’re incorporating this data into our own Green Globes rating system, and the GBI also supported the development of a generic version—the ATHENA® EcoCalculator for Assemblies—which is available free of charge from the Athena Institute (www.athenasmi.ca).

    •    Stimulating the increased use of technology in green assessment.  The Green Globes interactive platform has helped make green design and assessment both cost-effective and user-friendly.  This has made it possible for a greater number of projects to be built to green standards and has encouraged the increasing use of technology in other rating systems.

In addition, Green Globes and other similar tools play an important role by attracting mainstream design and construction professionals whose needs (and budgets) aren’t met by other systems. For example, in Summit County, Colorado, the local government and High Country Conservation Center celebrated a sustainable construction milestone last year when the Summit County Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) became the first recycling facility in the country to be built green.

As a mission-driven non-profit, the Summit County MRF required a system such as Green Globes, which offers affordability, flexibility and user friendliness.  Without this option, it would have been impractical to assess and rate the building’s environmental achievements—and its accomplishments would have gone unrecognized.

The bottom line: green building does not only apply to big budget projects and cathedrals of architecture. The market can bear—and frankly needs—a variety of options that accommodate a full range of budgets and building types, as well as the individual preferences of architects, builders and others in a position to influence the adoption of sustainable building practices.

Q. How can companies tell the difference between “greenwashing” and meaningful changes that will both improve their bottom line and make a difference for the environment?

Hubbell: With so many people playing the “green” card, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to translate a commitment to the environment into a competitive advantage—unless you can back that commitment up with real achievements.
    If you’re serious about reducing your environmental footprint, look at every aspect of your organization through a lens of sustainability. Identify your strengths and figure out where you could be doing better. Are you using products that are certified as having been sustainably manufactured? Are you incorporating recycled materials or using water-based finishes? Is renewable energy an option or does your local hydro company offer green power? Is there anything you can do to minimize packaging or waste?
    Education is an obvious component and green building rating systems like the Green Globes module for Continual Improvement of Existing Buildings is an initial starting point. It allows you to evaluate the sustainability of your workplace itself, but it’s also a great source of information about what constitutes green in broad terms—things like energy and resource efficiency and indoor air quality.
    Once you’re confident that your building, processes and products are in fact green, make sustainability a focal point of your communications. Let your suppliers know what you’re doing so, among other things, they can alert you to products or services they offer that contribute to the green cause. And, of course, use every opportunity to tell customers why your products are an environmentally smart choice.

Q. I’m sure you still meet some skepticism about the need to build green. What tools do you use to introduce your ideas to a cynical audience?

Hubbell: First, we had to work to position ourselves as an organization that architects, builders and others can turn to when they need reliable resources, information and education related to green building and try to reach these audiences in any way we can. We want to let them know not only why green building is necessary, but the fact that practical, affordable and credible tools are available that make the process of environmental design and construction more accessible.
    For instance, this year we launched a series of free online educational programs to help builders and developers implement green building practices and techniques.  These training sessions are an example of GBI's commitment to providing practical, user friendly tools to people who have the desire and power to improve the sustainability of the built environment—regardless of their level of experience.
    Next, it is vital to develop third-party codified consensus standards based on sound building science.
    The GBI is demonstrating its commitment by developing consensus-based standards that are also practical and affordable—and, in so doing, giving design and construction professionals the confidence that they are working with the best tools available.  Through the American National Standards Institute and its standards development process, we are utilizing the considerable knowledge of nearly 100 building science experts who sit on our technical committee and subcommittees, as well as interested members of the public, to create a highly credible and useful standard.
    By visiting the GBI website at www.thegbi.org you can view our educational webseminar recordings, sign up for a 30-day free-trail of Green Globes New Construction or Continual Improvement of Existing Buildings, check out tax incentives for building green state-by-state or watch 25 short training vignettes entitled “Best Green Building Practices.”   The GBI sees its role as a way to help those wanting to be green a pathway to help maneuver the revolution.