You have probably noticed that terms related to “sustainability” are tossed about rather freely these days, and it is often hard to know how appropriate they might be. The concept of “sustainability” originated in German forestry circles around 1713, and is ubiquitous today whenever there is a call to action amid the threat of an ecological crisis.
Unfortunately, a distortion often occurs when commercial and corporate interests attempt to explain their efforts to meet so-called green standards. This distortion is called “greenwashing,” and it’s everywhere. This has been described as “the practice where companies misleadingly brand their products or operations as environmentally friendly when they may not be significantly beneficial to the environment, or even harmful.”
Greenwashing is so serious the European Union recently approved new laws banning the use of certain unsubstantiated generic environmental claims, such as “environmentally friendly,” and regulating the use of sustainability labels. One restriction that could impact construction is, “a ban on the use of claims such as ‘climate neutral’ that suggest that a product has a neutral, reduced or positive impact on the environment because of emissions offsetting schemes.” As an example, some companies claim greenness based on only on one product or feature; and emission calculations based on market averages and not the company’s actual operations.
Potentially, green certifications could help investors, developers and lenders traverse a complex and highly technical path, ensuring they put their money where it can have the most impact in cutting carbon. But attaining a green certification can be more than beneficial for the environment — it can also be good for business. Valuations and rents can be much higher than for equivalent uncertified buildings.
Green building certifications have become an industry of their own in recent years. Sponsoring organizations do more than simply charge fees for their certifications. In many cases, they seek additional revenue streams from certification training courses and recurrent verification. Sometimes we spend millions on these certifications, and that is money we can’t spend on making our buildings greener.
This article was based partially on this source.