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The systems below all emphasize energy, water and resource efficiency, site ecology,
indoor air quality, and pollution control. But they also have some fundamental differences. See our Building Green and the Benefits of Wood for a comparison of these prominent green building standards.
Green Globes™ System
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Organization: |
ECD Energy and Environment Canada Ltd.
Green Building Initiative (GBI) (U.S.)
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Focus: |
Commercial structures; targets mainstream design professionals
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Market advantages:
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Web-based and interactive, user-friendly, flexible, affordable
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Scoring with wood:
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Green Globes awards points for wood
certified through any credible system (including the three programs used
in British Columbia), as well as materials taht are bio-based, raised floors, and
partition walls that can be easily removed and recycled |
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Life cycle assessment:
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Favours materials that are chosen based on
LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT; GBI is working to incorporate a tool that provides
instant LCA results formore than 400 common building assemblies, which is available
in generic form, free of charge, from this website or the
Athena Institute. |
LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
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Organization: |
Canadian Green Building Council (CaGBC)
U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
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Focus: |
Commercial and residential; targets the top 25 per cent of the market
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Market advantages:
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Well-entrenched, enjoys strong brand recognition
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Scoring with wood:
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LEED contains inherent biases against wood. For example, it only awards points for
wood certified by FSC and
not through other credible, internationally recognized systems, which has the added
effect of limiting the supply of certified wood. It also rewards renewability only
if the rotation cycle is 10 years or less (rapid renewability), and awards locally
manufactured materials regardless of their impact on the environment |
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Life cycle assessment:
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Does not currently consider materials
based on LCA |
NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines
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Organization: |
National Association of Home Builders
(NAHB)
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Focus: |
Residential; targets mainstream builders |
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Market advantages:
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Guidelines are used as the basis of individual
home builder association (HBA) programs across the country; NAHB is developing a
national Web-based program for builders not covered locally |
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Scoring with wood:
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Points are awarded for wood
certified through any credible system (including the three programs used in
British Columbia), as well as renewability and resource-efficient designs that optimize
the use of natural resources |
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Life cycle assessment:
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Guidelines do not currently consider
materials based on LCA |