For the construction industry, the issue of green building will only continue to grow in importance - whether it's because of regulatory requirements, the cost of energy going up, or the tangible effects that construction has on the natural environment.
LEED
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices through the creation and implementation of universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria. LEED is a third-party certification program and an internationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. It provides building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance.
Canada Green Building Council
Cascadia Chapter of Canada Green Building Council
Built Green Canada
Built Green Canada is a national, industry-driven organization committed to working with interested in responsible sustainability practices in the residential building sector. The organization offers programs for single family, high density, and renovation projects, with a communities program under development. Part of BUILT GREEN® builder member criteria is membership to a professional organization; one such example is that of a local chapter of CHBA. Built Green Canada also has both a Product Catalogue, with BUILT GREEN® Approved products, and a “Supporting Member” option, which is defined as those who are responsible for products or services for housing construction. While energy efficiency is a fundamental component of these programs, integrating the EnerGuide label through Natural Resources Canada, Built Green Canada goes beyond energy efficiency, moving the industry toward a more holistic approach to sustainable building practices. An approach that includes the preservation of natural resources, reduction of pollution, ventilation and air quality, and the improvement of home durability. As such, members and their customers get a two-in-one: the BUILT GREEN® seal and the EnerGuide label. Built Green Canada offers four levels of home certification: BUILT GREEN® Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Committed to the integrity of its programs, Built Green Canada provides learning opportunities that allow for continuous improvements to building practices, participation affordability, and third-party certification, which requires builders to contract Energy Advisors to assess the effectiveness of the systems in the home.
BOMA BESt BOMA
BESt is the next evolution of BOMA Canada's Go Green program. BESt stands for Building Environmental Standards, and represents the direction of the commercial real estate industry in Canada and BOMA Canada's role in providing the mechanisms for common practices across the industry. With four possible levels of certification, users can progress through the program and continually use the framework of the Go Green Best Practices and the Go Green Plus assessment to improve environmental performance and management. The BOMA BESt certification builds on Go Green and Go Green Plus by harmonizing these separate certifications into one program.
Green Globes
The Green Globes system is a revolutionary building environmental design and management tool. It delivers an online assessment protocol, rating system and guidance for green building design, operation and management. It is interactive, flexible and affordable, and provides market recognition of a building’s environmental attributes through third-party verification.
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