1. CEC Secretariat Report on Green Building in North America

2. Key Findings Our Built Environment has a profound impact In Mexico, Canada and the United States, buildings are responsible for: About 23, 30, and 40%, respectively, of primary energy consumption Significant contributions to natural resource and water consumption as well as to waste generation More than 2,200 megatons of CO 2 released into the atmosphere—about 35 percent of North America’s total

3. Key Findings Green Building has proven economic, environmental and health benefits: Routine energy savings up to 50% Carbon emissions cut by 35% Can reduce water use by 30 to 50% Waste disposal cost savings of 50 to 90% Important health and productivity benefits

4. Green Building today is employed in a fraction of new homes and commercial buildings: Non-residential 2% Residential 0.3% But market interest is growing rapidly: estimated to grow to 5–10% by 2010 USGBC – 15,700 member organizations US sector = $12 billion

5. Key Findings Dramatic improvements are possible: Enormous energy improvements and GHG reductions are possible using existing and emerging technologies Rapid adoption of energy-saving technologies could result in 1,700 fewer megatons of CO 2 emissions annually by 2030 Green building presents net economic benefits

7. Key Findings Barriers Separate operating and capital budgets Split incentives Higher perceived—or actual—first costs Risk and uncertainty Lack of experienced workforce Lack of coordination and consistency in policies Lack of research investments

8. Recommendations Scaling up Moving from 50% market penetration and putting green building at the heart of a healthy and energy-secure North America requires vision, leadership, and cooperation Green Building report summarizes the recommendations of the CEC’s expert advisory group to complement and build upon market growth Partners: green building associations; federal, state/provincial and local governments; investors; developers; real estate industry; and citizens