Program on the Environment

Construction continues to be a booming industry as the population rises and urbanization increases. The industry has done a great job of meeting demand and building successfully, but at the expense of the environment. One source says that about 40% of carbon emissions in the world come from the building sector, 28% coming from building operations and 11% coming from construction and materials. Green building systems have become increasingly popular with programs like LEED being the most popular in the United States. The purpose of this study was to find how LEED is currently being used in the construction industry and how it can be used better to continue the movement for healthier people and a cleaner environment. To accomplish this task I worked for Mortenson Construction on a hopeful LEED silver certified building and I also completed a literature review on the topic. Findings show that LEED is mostly implemented due to client demands and environmental regulations and it is successful because it lowers operating costs and increases occupant well-being. It has also been found that there are three main issues with LEED; it is much more costly upfront, the documentation process is complicated, and LEED can make a project timely. Incentive options like loans, grants, expedited permits, and increased building size have been shown to increase the likelihood of using green building systems. Incentives should be more widely accessible to owners and contractors so that they will be more willing to look past the barriers and build green.