BuildingGreen Report

Forests of all types are essential to slowing climate change. But some people argue that “working” forests—the ones we log—are just as critical as conserved land. We can use timber harvests, they say, to maximize carbon sequestration and storage in working forests.

The math on that is … still being worked out. But... Read more

Editor’s note: This online piece is an edited and condensed version of an extensive, in-depth report on wood certifications. Download the PDF to benefit from the comprehensive research that informed the analysis and procurement recommendations presented below.

Other readers may wish to begin with the takeaways: click here to go straight... Read more

High-performing, LEED-certified buildings are great for showing what’s possible, but the vast majority of existing building will never pursue—much less achieve—certification. But those buildings are responsible for the lion’s share of carbon emissions from the built environment, so it’s imperative to improve their performance.

At... Read more

Architecture firm EHDD announced on November 12 that it’s established a new company, C.Scale, as an independent public benefit corporation. Jack Rusk, EHDD’s former director of climate strategy, left the firm to become C.Scale’s CEO. And Brad Jacobson, FAIA, principal and partner at EHDD and co-founder of C.Scale, will join the C.Scale team... Read more

The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute (C2CPII) recently announced the release of a new certification option, the Certified Circularity Standard. Derived from the full standard, the new certification is “designed to provide an accessible pathway for companies of all sizes to create and verify circular products,” explained Ren... Read more

The green building community suffered a tremendous threefold loss in October 2024 with the deaths of Matts Myhrman on October 15, David Goldstein on October 18, and Sim Van der Ryn on October 19. The departures of these three hit me particularly hard because all of them were important figures in my professional journey and green building... Read more

The federal government finalized its definition of a “zero-emissions building” in June of this year. Since then, major industry groups have formally announced their intentions to align with it.

The definition is not a standard, and the government doesn’t plan to adjudicate whether a particular project fits the definition, the Biden... Read more

The clean energy transition is upon us. But if we’re not proactive about making it equitable, many people—especially renters along with homeowners in disadvantaged communities—could be left behind paying ever-increasing gas prices.

With its newly passed Neighborhood Decarbonization Act (SB 1221), California seeks to demonstrate—through... Read more

Steel is one of our most versatile and important building materials. It is found in even the most boutique low-embodied-carbon buildings. But steel is also one of the world’s biggest sources of carbon emissions, and production of raw steel can come at significant costs to local communities, especially in China where mills create poor air... Read more

Are today’s carbon emissions worse than tomorrow’s?

Should embodied carbon be a higher priority than operational carbon?

Is temporary carbon storage beneficial?

These are daunting and complicated questions, which most project teams are probably not trying to answer directly. Still, building practitioners do often make... Read more

Clean energy jobs spiked in 2023, which according to the Clean Jobs America report from the nonpartisan business group E2, is partly attributable to the first full year of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). In 2023, alone, the clean energy economy grew by almost 150,000 jobs, a pace nearly two times faster than overall national job growth.... Read more

Over the last few years, many different organizations have developed programs and processes to address embodied carbon of entire projects: buildings, site work, and infrastructure. But embodied carbon champions became concerned that divergent methods and assumptions would slow the adoption of project LCAs, as owners might hesitate to invest in... Read more

Industrial hemp has amazing potential as a building material. It grows quickly on small plots. It is drought resistant. It can grow in poor soils, regenerating them by fixing nitrogen. And it has the potential to store a lot of carbon.

In the past, hemp was one of the world’s biggest crops, grown primarily for its fibers, which were... Read more

In simpler times, our buildings were made primarily from local, natural substances like stone, wood, straw, and clay.

But lifestyles have changed dramatically since these were the dominant materials used. Now, although many communities are still following the “old ways,” in the richest parts of the globe, ultra-processed materials make... Read more

Federally funded projects are responsible for as much as a third of all U.S. construction emissions, estimates the General Services Administration (GSA) Green Building Advisory Committee.

As one piece of a comprehensive strategy to reduce this impact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is creating a labeling program to drive... Read more

First and foremost, it is best to use native landscaping or xeriscaping that is drought-resistant and reduces or eliminates water, energy, and chemical use.

When irrigation is required, preference should be given to products labeled by EPA’s WaterSense program. WaterSense-labeled products undergo rigorous testing to ensure they are at... Read more

Our buildings used to be made from local, natural materials. With no petrochemicals, these natural materials had minimal carbon footprint and were healthier for people and the environment. The climate and environment are now in crisis, brought on partially by the building materials that have ushered in our era of skyscrapers and... Read more

Batt insulation is inexpensive and readily available. Most brands contain formaldehyde-free resins, so they provide decent insulation with minimal indoor air quality concerns.

Batt insulation R-values vary between 3.5 for typical mineral batt insulations to about 4 for high-density products.

Before petrochemicals, our buildings were made primarily from local, natural materials, making the most of the resources at hand. We had a circular economy—using and reusing high-value goods until they fell apart completely and became valuable fertilizer for future high-value goods—by necessity. The embodied carbon of these natural materials... Read more

There are few commercial-grade drop-in alternatives to luxury vinyl tile (LVT)—a state of affairs that flooring manufacturer Shaw Industries is hoping to change. Shaw has introduced a new PVC-free, polyolefin-based flooring collection called EcoWorx Resilient. The company claims the collection, whose name leverages the well-known brand of its... Read more