1. U.S. Green Building Council
Building America
As a member-driven organization, USGBC committees are the primary
means by which the organization develops consensus-based programs to
serve the green building industry. Board committees conduct the business
of the Council. Organizational committees establish policy and guidelines,
promote best practices, and implement goals for: Chapters, Government,
Education, Emerging Green Builders, Greenbuild, Research, and Codes. LEED
committees develop and deliver the LEED Rating System, vet the technical
aspects of LEED, and assure that all LEED credits are technically supportable.
USGBC Founder and President S. Richard Fedrizzi
T he U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a local level through 74 chapters across the U.S.
non-profit organization composed of leaders USGBC Chapters provide local green building
from across the building industry working to resources, education and leadership opportunities.
advance buildings that are environmentally Local chapter members can connect with
responsible, profitable and healthy places to live green building experts in their area, develop
and work. Driving its mission to transform the built local green building strategies and tour green
environment is the Council’s LEED® (Leadership building projects.
in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Since its founding in 1993, USGBC has been
Building Rating System™. LEED is a third party focused on fulfilling the building and construction
certification program and the nationally accepted industry’s vision for its own transformation to high-
benchmark for the design, construction and performance green building. Today, it includes more
operation of high performance green buildings. than 17,000 member companies and organizations.
LEED is accessible on-line and supported by a In testament to its leadership, in the past five
robust LEED Workshop program and the LEED years alone, USGBC’s membership has quadrupled
Professional Accreditation program. and over 3.6 billion square feet of building space are
LEED addresses all building types including new involved with the LEED program. The annual U.S.
construction, commercial interiors, core & shell, market in green building products and services was
operations & maintenance, homes, neighborhoods, over $7 billion in 2005 and is now over $12.billion.
and specific applications such as retail, multiple Industry-led and consensus-driven, the
buildings/campuses, schools, healthcare, Council is as diverse as the marketplace it
laboratories and lodging. serves. Membership includes building owners
Based on well-founded scientific standards, and end-users, real estate developers, facility
LEED emphasizes state of the art strategies for managers, architects, designers, engineers, general
sustainable site development, water savings, contractors, subcontractors, product and building
energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor system manufacturers, government agencies,
environmental quality. LEED promotes expertise and nonprofits. Leaders from within each of these
in green building through a comprehensive sectors participate in the development of the
system offering project certification, professional LEED Rating Systems and the direction of the
accreditation, training and practical resources. Council through volunteer service on USGBC’s
USGBC supports a rich education and research open committees.
agenda, including Greenbuild - the largest
international conference & expo focused on green
Tel +1.800.795.1747
building. The Council also supports an aggressive
www USGBC.org
education and advocacy program delivered at the
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