Building design, construction and operation have extensive impacts on the environment.

Buildings use resources such as energy, water and raw materials. They also generate waste and emit potentially harmful atmospheric emissions. Building designers and owners face a unique challenge: meet the demand for new and renovated facilities designed and operated to achieve a return on investment – while minimizing their impact on the environment.

To that end, two nationally accepted environmental rating and assessment systems are now in the marketplace.

Newell Rubbermaid Building - Two Green Globes

Since 2004, Green Globes has built a strong presence as a nationally recognized rating and assessment system.

Its web applications have been recognized in legislation in 22 states and have assessed, improved and certified 130+ buildings which include General Services Administration, Veteran’s Affairs, the State Department, Drexel University, Bristol Myers Squibb and Whole Foods among others. Several major insurance companies give premium discounts on Green Globes buildings believing them to be at less risk. The State Department of Education accepts Green Globes as a recognized system to assess schools and educational institutions and the National Institute of Health endorses Green Globes as an assessor of laboratories. In March 2010, Green Globes became the first commercial green rating system to become an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) consensus standard.

Green Globes / LEED - A Comparison

Criteria	Green Globes	LEED
(ANSI) Developed Through Recognized Consensus Process	YES	NO
Nationally Accepted Environmental Rating and Assessment Program	YES	YES
Program Delivery	Web enabled interactive questionnaire	Online forms
New Construction Assessment	YES	YES
Existing Buildings Assessment	YES	YES
Program Points	1,000	110
Energy Performance (New Construction)	Benchmarks against actual regional performance data	Benchmarks against hypothetical building model
Criteria Weighted – Partial Credit Scores Possible	YES	LIMITED
Forest Certifications Accepted	4	1
Specific Prerequisite Items	NO	YES
Minimum Points Required for Certification	YES	YES
Incorporates Life Cycle Assessment	YES	NO
Flexibility for Non-Applicable Criteria	YES	NO
Automated Online Report Incorporates Sustainability Recommendations	YES	NO
Certification Process	Assessor assigned/on-site building audit with team	Fill out assessment form, submit, await results
Certification Ratings	4 Globes 3 Globes 2 Globes 1 Globe	LEED Platinum LEED Gold LEED Silver Certified LEED
Certified Personnel Training Program Available	YES	YES
Time Requirements to Complete Documentation
Cost to Certify a Typical Building > 100,000 sq ft	$	$$$

Green Globes is North America’s first web-enabled, fully interactive green building assessment tool that allows building professionals and owners to augment their design, in the case of new construction, or incorporate sustainability operations, in the case of existing buildings, and rate the building’s proposed or actual sustainability performance. The system features allow building owners and managers to have first-hand knowledge at any given time how their building is scoring. If a building achieves at least 35% of the total number of 1,000 points, it qualifies for certification. Upon ordering the certification, a third-party Assessor appointed by the GBI begins to work with the owner and team during the assessment period which culminates in an on-site audit of the building. Green Globes places an emphasis on benchmarking and improvements, providing an easier, affordable way to go green. Green Globes rating and certification process can be completed for a fraction of the combined hard/soft costs and time associated with LEED. Green Globes is ideal for complex or specialty buildings that cannot be certified with LEED.

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