Green Building

Green buildings are structures that are designed to have a reduced environmental impact compared with standard construction methods and materials. When the concept was introduced in the 1970s because of concerns over rising energy use and environmental pollution, green building was largely carried out by people constructing their own homes. Since 2000, however, the growing concern over global warming, water resources, and sustainability has led to a movement that is influencing development in the public and private sectors across the world, from houses to skyscrapers. The standards that have been developed to certify green buildings are part of the general 21st-century shift away from government regulation and toward voluntary, performance-based standards. Because of the focus on economic and environmental but not social issues, green buildings ...