User:Klpdx/Green Building Initiative

The Green Building Initiative (GBI) is a U.S. based nonprofit organization whose mission is to accelerate the adoption of building practices that result in energy-efficient, healthier and environmentally sustainable buildings. The GBI is the exclusive provider of Green Globes Building Certifications in the U.S. – the first and only commercial building rating system to become an ANSI Standard. Developed in Canada, Green Globes is a green building guidance and assessment program that offers a way to advance the overall environmental performance and sustainability of commercial buildings.

The Green Building Initiative was originally conceived as a way to bring green building into the mainstream by helping local Home Builder Associations (HBAs) develop green building programs modeled after the National Association of Home Builders' (NAHB) Model Green Home Building Guidelines. While developing a strategic partnership with the NAHB, an opportunity emerged to bring a learning tool developed in Canada to commercial builders in the United States. Near the end of 2004, the GBI finalized an agreement to bring the Green Globes environmental assessment and rating tool into the U.S. market.

The GBI benefited from the early support of a core group of industries that are committed to advancing the green building movement by creating a variety of credible options for their mainstream builder customers. Organizations like the Wood Promotion Network, as well as interests from such sectors as financial services, retailers, wholesalers, appliance manufacturers and other building material providers offered support for the GBI's efforts.

The GBI is governed by a multi-stakeholder board of directors featuring representatives from industry, NGOs, construction companies, architectural firms and academic institutions.

The Internal Revenue Service has determined that the Green Building Initiative is a non-profit organization that is exempt from federal taxes under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

The Green Building Initiative was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in Portland, Oregon.

Drexel University is the first University in the U.S. to commit to using Green Globes as a tool to help identify potentially effective design elements that contribute to the improvement of a building's performance.

In December 2006 Green Globes was recognized as "Best Sustainable Policy/Program Initiative" by the Buildings Industry Council.

The GBI has assessed and certified four State Department buildings.

Environmental Assessment Areas
Using its Green Globes software tools and ratings/certification system, the GBI assesses environmental impacts on a 1,000 point scale in multiple categories: Energy, Indoor Environment, Site, Water, Resources, Emissions, Project/Environmental Management

Green Globes Certified Buildings in the US:

 * ASU – Walter Cronkite School of Journalism
 * Alberici Corporation Headquarters
 * Blakely Hall
 * Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Research & Development Facility
 * Federal Court Building
 * Pfizer Inc Clinical Research Unit
 * Whole Foods
 * William J. Clinton Presidential Center