A Week of Epiphanies: Go Green or Die Not Trying
The final Green Building Law Update epiphany for the week will come in the form of a headline I came across this past weekend:
In the LEED: Green certification will be the norm in a few years
Last week, Green Building Law Update focused on how the economic downturn may result in a slowdown of green building developments. On Wednesday, we discussed how government projects should consider foregoing the green building certification process due to certification costs. But the exact opposite is true of private developments. Private developments should continue to seek green building certification primarily because “green certification will be the norm in a few years.”
Why does this matter? Well, why would you build a project now that you know will be outdated in a few years? Others are also recognizing this factor in their green building efforts:
“I think that over time, cities will start to adopt some of the LEED standards into building codes,” CEO Bill Cawley said. “It will cease to become something that sets companies apart and start to become standard – I would think in the next five, maybe seven years.”
Mr. Cawley also brings up another great point that relates to Wednesday’s post: government’s should adopt LEED standards into building codes. But that is a topic for another post.
Are there better reasons for continuing to pursue private project green building certification in a struggling economy?
Related Links:
- In the LEED: Green certification will be the norm in a few years (Fort Worth Business Press)
- Projects Cut Out LEED Certification (GBLU)
- Cutting Edge LEED on the Chopping Block? (GBLU)
- A Week of Epiphanies: I Don't Mean to Diminish This But . . . (GBLU)
I think consumer demand will drive the demand for LEED buildings. The LEED brand with become a premium brand for green buildings, and this demand will drive more developers to sustainable practices.
Other Green certification systems, for example BEAM (http://www.hk-beam.org.hk) don't last a lifetime - I wonder does LEED?
Under HK-BEAM after three years the building must be re-certified to retain the certificate.
StrongWall Group -
Why are we always agreeing? The LEED brand is a premium brand, and if the USGBC continues to modify the rating system to move the green building market, then the LEED brand will remain a premium brand.
Chris
John
Thanks for the comment! I hear this same question a lot: does a LEED certified building have to be re-certified after a certain time period? The short answer is no. I have heard rumblings about a re-certification process but there is currently nothing in place.
Regards,
Chris