In a new brief released on Sept. 29, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) outline an expanded suite of programs and resources focused on improving building and community resilience in the face of climate risks. While governments and businesses focus on economic recovery, more frequent and severe climate events threaten to interrupt progress. Green building helps companies and communities adapt to and mitigate the effects of these growing climate concerns.
“Green buildings are the first step to creating more resilient businesses and communities while also supporting economic development and growth,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO of USGBC and GBCI. “We know people, especially those in our most vulnerable communities, are already experiencing the costs of a changing climate and the resilience of the people in these structures is a critical factor. Resilient design, construction and operations verified through green building and infrastructure certifications can help reduce risk and vulnerability. USGBC and GBCI’s resources serve as a roadmap for resilience that has the ability to save companies money and improve the standard of living for all.”
The building and construction industry must accelerate its adoption of strategies and practices that respond to climate threats communities are currently facing. The new brief outlines USGBC and GBCI’s existing resilience resources along with new opportunities and include:
— LEED: The most widely used green building rating system offers a series of resilience design pilot credits that ensure project teams are aware of and are addressing vulnerabilities. The credits are available for new construction and align with the RELi Rating System. Currently, more than 200 projects have registered to pursue the credits. The LEED for Cities and Communities program outlines options to enhance resilience beyond a single building. More than 110 cities and communities have certified.
— Certification Systems: GBCI integrates resilience strategies across several rating systems. RELi takes a holistic approach to resilience and helps developers, companies, city planners and others assess and plan for acute hazards. LEED credits can also count toward RELi certification. PEER serves as a roadmap for designing and operating resilient and reliable power systems and microgrids and has more than 30 certified projects that serve more than seven million people. SITES focuses on creating regenerative landscapes and ecologically resilient communities and has nearly 150 projects participating.
— Data & Technology: Data will define the future of green building, which is why USGBC is working with Coastal Risk Consulting to deliver a RiskFootprint™ for buildings, communities and cities that provides a climate risk analysis. The service will integrate with LEED, Arc and GBCI rating systems to help assess a project’s vulnerability.
— Workforce Education: Equipping professionals with the latest skills and knowledge is critical to scaling resilient practices and Education @USGBC offers courses from experts working on resilience. USGBC will also open a call for ideas on enhancing resilience across the green building industry. GBCI is also developing a new RELi professional credential expected to be ready in 2021.
— Advocacy: USGBC works with federal, state and local governments and jurisdictions to advocate for policies, guidance and incentives that support green buildings and communities. A goal of that work is to ensure disaster recovery funds are spent on high quality, resilient buildings that mitigate climate risks and promote social equity and health. The latest advocacy activities are housed in the USGBC Center for Resilience.
— Partnerships: USGBC will leverage its network of members, partners and LEED users to build a community of leaders for resilient buildings, communities and cities. USGBC will establish partnerships with a variety of organizations committed to advancing resilience.
The resilience offerings are part of USGBC’s reimagined vision and economic recovery strategy, Healthy People in Healthy Places Equals a Healthy Economy. Resilience is a critical component of building a healthier, more sustainable future, but can also influence how companies and governments respond to social and economic disruptions. Resilience planning helps future proofs assets and support communities in times of crisis.
Over the last two years, reportedly more than 16 million people globally, including an estimated 1.2 million Americans, were displaced because of climate events. A number that is expected to continue to grow impacting livability and workability. In a 2019 report from CDP, a group of the world’s largest companies valued climate risks to their businesses at almost $1 trillion – with many likely to occur within the next five years. It reinforces the need for immediate solutions that can help mitigate social and economic costs that are predicted in the near term. Green building programs like LEED, RELi and other GBCI rating systems outline for business leaders and government officials necessary actions and provide a framework for communicating progress.
To learn more about resilience in the building industry, USGBC’s annual Resilience Summit will be held at Greenbuild 2020 on Oct. 1, featuring resilience leaders and the opportunity to learn the newest research and technology around resilience-enhancing designs, technologies, materials and methods. Registration for the Summit and Greenbuild virtual events is open.
Related Stories
| May 16, 2011
Virtual tour: See U.S. Green Building Council’s new LEED Platinum HQ—and earn CE credits
A virtual tour of the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Platinum HQ is available. The tour features embedded videos, audio podcasts, and information on building materials and products used throughout the space. By taking the virtual tour, professionals can earn GBCI Continuing Education hours for the LEED AP with specialty and LEED Green Associate credentials.
| May 16, 2011
Seattle unveils program to boost building efficiency
Seattle launched a new program that will help commercial property owners and managers assess and improve building energy efficiency. Under the program, all commercial and multifamily buildings larger than 10,000 sq. ft. will be measured for their energy performance using the EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager.
| May 10, 2011
Cascadia Green Building Council report urges net-zero water systems for multifamily and commercial buildings
A new report from the Cascadia Green Building Council offers best management practices for designing safe, efficient, and effective net-zero water systems for the multifamily, commercial, single-family, and neighborhood market segments.
| May 10, 2011
Greenest buildings: K-12 and commercial markets
Can you name the nation’s greenest K-12 school? How about the greenest commercial building? If you drew a blank, don’t worry because our friends at EarthTechling have all the information on those two projects. Check out the Hawai’i Preparatory Academy’s Energy Lab on the Big Island and Cascadia Green Building Council’s new Seattle headquarters.
| May 10, 2011
Solar installations on multifamily rooftops aid social change
The Los Angeles Business Council's study on the feasibility of installing solar panels on the city’s multifamily buildings shows there's tremendous rooftop capacity, and that a significant portion of that rooftop capacity comes from buildings in economically depressed neighborhoods. Solar installations could therefore be used to create jobs, lower utility costs, and improve conditions for residents in these neighborhood.
| May 3, 2011
More jurisdictions adopting International Green Construction Code
More jurisdictions are utilizing the new International Green Construction Code (IGCC) as a tool to address sustainable construction for new and existing buildings. Fort Collins, Colo., and Kayenta Township, Ariz., are the most recent in a series of local and state governments that have adopted the IGCC,
| May 3, 2011
What green building types are most likely to get noticed?
The general public isn’t terribly aware of green buildings in their area, according to a TD Bank survey of 1,510 consumers within major metro markets in its Maine to Florida footprint. The bank conducted the poll to better understand consumers’ knowledge of green or sustainable buildings. According to the poll, these green buildings are most likely to get noticed.
| May 3, 2011
Green building materials in U.S. to exceed $71 billion in 2015
Demand for green building materials is projected to expand 13.0% annually to $71.1 billion in 2015, slightly outpacing the growth of building construction expenditures over that period, according to a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industry market research firm. While the rising use of green materials will support gains, the most important driver for demand will be the expected rebound in the construction market.
| Apr 26, 2011
Ed Mazria on how NYC can achieve carbon neutrality in buildings by 2030
The New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects invited Mr. Mazria to present a keynote lecture to launch its 2030 training program. In advance of that lecture, Jacob Slevin, co-founder of DesignerPages.com and a contributor to The Huffington Post, interviewed Mazria about creating a sustainable vision for the future and how New York City's architects and designers can rise to the occasion.
| Apr 22, 2011
GSA testing 16 emerging sustainable technologies, practices
The GSA is testing and evaluating 16 emerging sustainable building technologies and practices in select federal facilities under its Green Proving Ground program. Testing will determine the most effective technologies that may then be replicated on a wider-scale basis throughout the GSA inventory with the goal of transforming markets for these technologies.
