Green building experts work on new global standard

Green building experts in the U.S., the UK and Australia have agreed to establish new metrics for quantifying the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by new buildings.

The move comes as the three leading rating systems—the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the UK-based Building Research Establishment's Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), and Green Building Council Australia's Green Star—continue to use different methods to assess green buildings. 

Consistency and comparability in the tools is essential if companies are to be held accountable for carbon emissions under global trading schemes or carbon taxes, building leaders say.

"Climate change is a global problem, so it is vital we find a global solution," said Romilly Madew, chief executive of the Green Building Council of Australia, in a news release.

McGraw-Hill Construction Analytics projects that the green building sector will jump from $12 billion in 2008 to $60 billion in 2010.

Representatives of the three groups signed the memorandum of understanding yesterday at EcoBuild’09 in Earls Court, London.

Residential and commercial buildings account for 23 percent of Australia’s total greenhouse gas emissions, and nearly 39 percent of emissions in the United States, according to the groups.

"The MOU sets the stage for true progress by focusing on performance that is measurable and verifiable," said Rick Fedrizzi, CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council, in a release. "It's vital that we are able to measure carbon emissions in a consistent, reliable way."

Cleantech developments making news in the past 24 hours

• AES raises $1.58B with China Investment

View the last week of cleantech developments here | Subscribe to full feed