What does it take to establish a true consensus standard?

At the GBI, we’ve been making a lot of the fact that we’re working to establish the Green Globes system as the first (and, to date, only) consensus standard for commercial green building.  But doesn’t the U.S. already have consensus standards for rating green buildings? Actually, no.

True consensus standards are established when a recognized standards developer like the GBI follows a prescribed process that subjects every aspect of its rating system to review, analysis and voting by a balanced group of independent stakeholders.

In our case, we chose the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as the organization through which to develop our consensus standard.  As per ANSI protocol, Green Globes is undergoing a thorough review by an independent technical committee (supported by seven subcommittees), which will make modifications through a formal voting process. Before it can be ratified, the standard must be released for public comment and all negative comments must be addressed by the committee in writing.

While other green building standards are commonly referred to as consensus standards, they are neither developed nor maintained through an independent, third-party process for consensus development. This is an important distinction, not only because voluntary consensus standards are preferred for use by the federal government (which tends to influence the market), but because standards not developed by consensus are under the control of their governing bodies.

By choosing a true consensus process, the GBI has put Green Globes in the collective hands of talented experts in the many inter-related fields that comprise green building, who will ensure that it reflects the very best science and practices in the marketplace.

For more information on the ANSI process, I encourage you to visit the commercial section of our web site.

Sincerely,

Ward Hubbell
Executive Director
Green Building Initiative