GREAT THINGS HAVE HAPPENED IN JUST 15 YEARS!
GREEN MOVINGTOWARD SUSTAINABLE Most notably the building industry is beginning to embrace deep sustainability in the full context of healthy environmental, economic and social systems. When we first began our research in 1998, green products numbered less than fifty, and were almost entirely 'green' with a single attribute of recycled content.
Fifteen years later, there are literally tens of thousands of products that claim to be some shade of green based on comprehensive sustainable, multi-attribute life cycle criteria. The U.S. Green Building Council has just this year addressed health issues and is promoting product transparency credits in its new LEED v4 building certification, a great leap forward for sustainability to be sure!
Even more exciting, there are now a growing number of companies producing these products that are starting to embrace social and environmental sustainability, pushing the envelope in new and innovatives ways. These companies are discovering the added value in being industry leaders and are actually creating market value in becoming sustainable. The Dow Jones even has a Sustainability Index now!
We are excited to see these developments within the building industry and are proud of the many contributions Green Building Pages has made to this market transformation.
HIGHLIGHTS COMPREHENSIVE SUSTAINABILITY CRITERIA BEFORE ITS TIME
In 2002, Green Building Pages became the first online web resource to ask full spectrum sustainability questions of product manufacturers including life-cycle environmental impacts, health impacts, chemicals of concern, as well as corporate responsibility and social sustainability reporting.
BENCHMARKING SUSTAINABILITY AHEAD OF THE CURVE
Green Building Pages' original 2002 Benchmarking Sustainability included economic and social justice criteria for the building industry based on the work done by Green America (formerly Co-op America) for the general consumer market, and incorporated corporate sustainability criteria using CERES 1997 Global Reporting Institute (GRI) guidelines.
Benchmarking Sustainability company and product evaluations provided a consistent, transparent format that enabled informed decision-making and provided concrete guidance to product manufacturers seeking to understand sustainability. It also provided a framework with incremental goals for creating and promoting sustainable products and companies.
ASTM THIRD-PARTY VALIDATION
In 2005 the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) approved the ASTM-E2129 Standard Practice for Data Collection for Sustainability Assessment of Building Products correlating directly with the Green Building Pages' 2002 Benchmarking Sustainability environmental criteria. MOVING THE MARKET In 2007 Green Building Pages initiated annual Benchmarking Sustainability Awards, and Earth Day Top Ten Awards to recognize and incentivize raising the sustainability bar.
GREENWASH TRANSPARENCY
In 2010, Green Building Pages became the first online web resouce to provide comprehensive certification information, certification transparency and cross-comparisons, in addition to benchmarking products for cross-comparisons, helping consumers to sift through growing greenwash and confusing marketing claims.
CONTINUING OUR MISSION, EXPANDING THE FOCUS
While we take pride on the work accomplished over the last fifteen years, we continue to remain focused on the our original mission to create a more sustainable world recognizing and supporting products and companies that preserve health, the environment, social equity and economic sustainability globally.
Expanding on the last fifteen years' work, Green Building Pages has launched a sister site, GREEN PRODUCT PAGES, Benchmarking Sustainability in the general consumer and global market.
IN CELEBRATION
Green Building Pages launched the GREEN USA TOUR in 2013 to celebrate the 15 Year Anniversary of Benchmarking Sustainability, highlighting the breadth and depth of sustainability efforts across the North American continent. These manufacturing, company and community accomplishments will be highlighted on the two sister websites, in case studies, video Interviews, and in the GREEN UMP blog throughout the coming year.
THANKS TO ALL THOSE WHO CONTRIBUTED
Thanks to all those who have contributed to Green Building Pages' development over the last fifteen years, to the dedicated product manufacturers who continue to raise the bar, and to the decision-makers who use their purchasing power to drive to market toward greater health, environmental and social sustainability with each informed decision.
