Big three agree to align green building ratings

2009-03-04T00:00:00-00:00

Representatives of the ‘big three’ green building rating systems signed a Memorandum of Understanding at Ecobuild conference in London yesterday agreeing to work together towards aligning the standards.

The US Green Building Council, which developed and manages the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification scheme, the UK’s BRE, which administers the BREEAM system, and the Green Building Council of Australia’s Green Star rating tool all use slightly different methods to measure the environmental impact of buildings.

The agreement between the three organisations will set up a working group to develop common metrics to measure CO₂ emissions from new homes and buildings. It will also aim to align the rating tools of each organisation and provide consistency in reporting.

The organisations are not looking to merge the schemes into one, according to John Alker of the UK Green Building Council. But the alignment of the schemes should make it easier for global companies to compare the performance of their buildings in different regions.

Buildings typically account for up to 40% of a country’s energy use and carbon emissions. But existing technologies such as improved insulation, energy efficient lighting and appliances can reduce energy usage and emissions substantially.

“Rating tools like BREEAM, LEED and Green Star have a proven track record in driving significant improvements in performance, and I’m delighted they are now coming together to help create an international language that will enable us to talk with one voice about the vital role green buildings can play in creating a low-carbon future,” commented Paul King, chief executive of the UK Green Building Council.

The agreement is a major opportunity for the organisations to move towards common carbon metrics, says Carol Atkinson, chief executive of BRE.

For further information:
www.usgbc.org/
www.usgbc.org/leed/
www.ukgbc.org/site/home
www.gbca.org.au/
www.gbca.org.au/green-star/rating-tools/green-star-rating-tools/953.htm
www.breeam.org/
www.bre.co.uk/
www.ecobuild.co.uk/

Afion Media Ltd

Big three agree to align green building ratings