News

GREEN BUILDING INITIATIVE'S™ GREEN GLOBES™ SYSTEM RECOGNIZED AS "BEST SUSTAINABLE POLICY/PROGRAM INITIATIVE" BY SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS INDUSTRY COUNCIL

Washington, DC (December 8, 2006) — Yesterday evening, the Green Building Initiative (GBI) was honored by the Sustainable Buildings Industry Council (SBIC) during their annual Best Sustainable Practice Awards ceremony in Washington, DC. The GBI's Green Globes environmental assessment and rating system for commercial buildings was named "Best Sustainable Policy/Program Initiative" by SBIC.

Now entering its sixth year, SBIC's Annual Awards Program & Reception recognizes the exceptional contributions that company members and partners are making to sustainability across the United States. The Best Sustainable Practices Awards continues to recognize the best products, processes, educational tools and outreach initiatives. The focus on this year's awards was the interaction between 'sustainable' and 'healthy and productive' attributes. Other award winners included ICYNENE for Sustainable Research and Development, and the Association of Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) for Educational Initiatives.

Accepting the award on behalf of GBI was Wayne Trusty, President of the Athena Sustainable Materials Institute and Athena Institute International. Trusty serves on the GBI board of directors and as the chairman of the GBI Technical Committee.

This year's awards program was held in Washington, DC. in conjunction with SBIC's FORUM 2006. These activities were held during the Ecobuild Federal Conference and Expo 2006. For more information on SBIC, please log onto http://www.sbicouncil.org/index.htm.

About Green Globes
Green Globes for new construction was adapted from a system that is widely used in Canada, where it is one of only two green building rating systems recognized by the Canadian federal government. Under the trade name Go Green Comprehensive it is also the basis of the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Canada's national energy and environmental program for existing buildings.

ABOUT THE GREEN BUILDING INITIATIVE: The mission of the Green Building Initiative is to accelerate the adoption of building practices that result in energy-efficient, healthier and environmentally sustainable buildings by promoting credible and practical green building approaches. A not-for-profit education initiative, the GBI is supported by a broad cross section of organizations and individuals with an interest in residential and commercial construction. For more information on the Green Building Initiative, please visit www.thegbi.org.