Building Green -- Additional Facts

It is estimated that the value of green building construction is projected to increase to $60 billion by 2010, and the green building market is estimated to be worth between $30 - $40 billion annually by that time, with an estimated 10% of all commercial construction starts being green.

82% of corporate America is also expected to be greening at least 16% of their real estate portfolios by the end of 2009, with 18% of these companies greening more than 60% of their total real estate portfolios. Further, according to a McGraw-Hill report, $464 million worth of construction registers with LEED every business day. Since 2000, USGBC's memebership has more than quadrupled (approximately 20,000 member organizations as of early 2009), and over 5 billion square feet of commercial building space is involved with the LEED green building certification system.

Additional points of interest include:

• Buildings represent 38.9% of US primary energy use
• Buildings represent 72% of US consumption, using 13.6% of all potable water in the US and 40% of raw materials globally
• In the US, buildings account for 38% of all CO2 emmissions and account for a significant portion of the greenhouse gas emissions that effect climate change
• EPA estimates that 136 million tons of building-related constructions and demolition debris are generated in the US per year
• The three largest segments for non-residential green building construction (office, education and healthcare) will account for more than 80% of total non-residential construction