Achieving Mandate Depends on Credibility, Continuous Improvement

Since launching the GBI at the start of last year, we’ve put a lot of effort into earning people’s trust. Our mandate is to accelerate green building in the marketplace. As such, we want home builders to get involved with the green building programs we create with local HBAs based on the NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines. We also want developers, architects, engineers and others to use the Green Globes system—as a design tool as well as a practical and cost-effective way to assess and rate commercial structures. Credibility is critical to meeting these objectives.

From the beginning, we’ve tried to make ourselves open and transparent in all that we do. Our application for status as a 501(c)(3) organization was recently approved, which means we’re non-profit and operate for a charitable purpose, specifically education. Even more important, however, is the fact that we’re governed by an independent board of directors comprised equally of producers (i.e. building materials suppliers), users (i.e. commercial and residential builders, architects and engineers) and interested third parties (i.e. academics and NGOs). We’re also the first green building organization to be accredited as a standards developer by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

In terms of our offerings, GBI’s residential programs have behind them the experience and integrity of the NAHB and our partner HBAs and, as a result, are being very well received. To help inspire the same confidence in Green Globes, GBI has begun the process to have it recognized as an official ANSI standard—which includes both a thorough technical review and a period of public comment. As per ANSI rules, GBI recently selected the first 15 members of its technical committee, which will self-populate to 30 members and function independently of the board and staff.

At the same time, we’re also taking steps to make Green Globes increasingly effective—by incorporating life cycle assessment to a greater degree (so the lifetime impacts of alternate designs can be easily compared), strengthening our third-party verification process, and expanding our network of qualified verifiers.

As an associate member of the GBI, you’re in a position to design, build or in some way encourage energy-efficient, healthy and environmentally sustainable structures. As such, it’s your good opinion we’re seeking. I hope you’ll continue to follow our activities and, should the opportunity arise, make use of the tools we provide.

Sincerely,

Ward Hubbell
Executive Director
Green Building Initiative