Codes & Certifications
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Codes & Certifications
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
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AEC Was Left Out of a Key Decarbonization Pilot. What’s Next?
Feature
Science-based targets for the building sector no longer apply to design firms and most construction companies, but experts say AEC must continue leading the industry toward net zero.
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Wood: Is It Still Good? Part One: Embodied Carbon
Feature
The idea that wood is inherently carbon neutral has masked negative impacts. The climate stakes are too high for us to keep buying those claims.
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Keeping PFAS Forever Chemicals out of Building Products
Feature
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been linked to negative health and environmental impacts. Getting them out of our building products is going to require work.
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IRA Tax Breaks May Reinforce Inequities, So We Need to Help
Feature
Four tax provisions could be used to include disadvantaged communities in the clean energy transition, but equity outcomes are unclear.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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30 Years of Green Building in the U.S.
Infographic
As The BuildingGreen Report (formerly Environmental Building News, or “EBN”) celebrates its 30th year of publication, we decided to track the growth—and explosion—of the green building movement. We start in 1990 with the founding of AIA’s Committee on the Environment.
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EPD Quick-Start Guide: 5 Easy Steps
Infographic
Use these tips to get what you need from an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), fast.
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What These Forestry Labels Really Mean
Infographic
You’ve seen FSC and SFI labels on wood products. Most often, you’ve seen no label at all. Here’s a green guide to each one.
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The Living Building Challenge Loves Me... It Loves Me Not
Infographic
Each Living Building Challenge (LBC) petal can elevate teams to new heights—or at times be the cause of unrequited love.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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How Low-Flow Can You Go with Plumbing Fixtures?
Product Review
BuildingGreen-Approved toilets, urinals, showerheads, and faucets automatically meet CALGreen and LEED v4 water-efficiency standards.
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Treated Wood for Ground Contact, Minus the Toxic Pesticides
Product Review
Accoya, now code-approved for fungus and termite resistance, relies on acetylation as a benign alternative to conventional pressure-treated wood.
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SIREWALL: The Next Generation of Earthen Walls
Product Review
Made from local earth, rebar, and polyiso, SIREWALL rammed earth walls are beautiful, durable, and are stronger than concrete with less portland cement.
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Gunlocke Seat Back Goes Red-List Free Using Mushrooms
Product Review
The first furniture manufacturer incorporates Myco Board because the mushroom-based product is a sturdier alternative to plywood.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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Industry Aligns on Federal Zero-Emissions-Building Definition
News Brief
The federal government finalized its definition of a “zero-emissions building” in June of this year, and now major industry groups have formally announced their intentions to align with it.
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Equitable Neighborhood Decarbonization Gets the Go-Ahead
News Analysis
A new California law will allow utilities to replace aging gas infrastructure with zero-emission alternatives in 30 pilot projects.
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Job Growth Follows First Full Year of IRA
News Brief
Clean energy projects sparked job growth in 2023, growing the sector to nearly 3.5 million workers.
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How to Use the Right Tools to Design for Climate Change
News Analysis
Weather files that help designers plan for climate change will soon be readily available. ASHRAE design conditions still lag.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Net Zero Has Failed. We Need a Universal Carbon Standard for Buildings.
Op-Ed
The building sector’s current “net-zero” standards are not credible, not scalable, and don’t eliminate emissions. There’s a better way.
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What’s up with LEED v5? Coffee Talk Follow-up and Recording
Blog Post
Our guests reply to the Qs we didn’t get to during our July 26 event. Plus, here’s the recording if you missed it, and USGBC will host several v5 update sessions at Greenbuild.
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A Tribute to Robin Guenther, Green Healthcare Pioneer
Op-Ed
Robin Guenther advanced new standards for hospitals that were adopted by the larger green building community and integrated into leading rating systems.
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ESG: Earth’s Salvation or Greenwash du Jour?
Op-Ed
The meaning of environmental, social, and governance reporting and ratings is in flux. Here are six ways to move forward amid the chaos.
Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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Keeping PFAS Forever Chemicals out of Building Products
Feature
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been linked to negative health and environmental impacts. Getting them out of our building products is going to require work.
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Build Green on a Budget: Lessons from Affordable Housing
Spotlight Report
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LEED and WELL Product Labels: A Guide and Analysis
Feature
LEED and WELL encourage a lot of different programs for green products. Learn the essentials—plus what’s behind the labels.
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Wood's Latest Move: from Carbon Neutral to Climate Smart
Webcast
If we’re going to start using a lot more wood in buildings, we need to think hard about where that wood is going to come from and how it will be harvested.
Just For Fun
Something weird happens every April at BuildingGreen...
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Passive Survivability Standard Modified for Post-Pandemic Office Buildings
April Fools
The LEED Passive Survivability pilot credit just got a lot easier for office buildings in the post-pandemic era.
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With GOOP, Green Building Explores New Depths
April Fools
Gwyneth Paltrow’s offering to the sustainability world rewards projects for venerating the “cradle of civilization.”
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USGBC Embraces Legal Marijuana
April Fools
LEED v4.20 introduces a wide range of cannabis-oriented prerequisites.
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WELL Building Auditor Will Drink Your Milkshake
April Fools
The WELL standard for healthy spaces and lifestyles is backed by onsite auditing, but some occupants would prefer to slowly kill themselves in peace.
