USGBC’s LEED—Leading Sustainable Future by Green Buildings
This video introduces an example of a non-profit organization, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and its effort towards sustainable green buildings by its well-known innovation: the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Nowadays, buildings and construction works are the largest consumers of global resources. They contribute to 25-40% of total energy use, 30% of raw material use, and 30-40% of global greenhouse gas emissions and solid waste generation. Because of those problems, people around the world are working actively in the efforts of designing and constructing “green buildings”, buildings that can not only save energy and resources, but provide spaces that are beneficial to human health and social well-being. Among those active groups, The United States Green Building Council—USGBC—is the world leader and educator to green buildings by its innovative system is a rating system for designing, constructing, and certifying green buildings. By classifying buildings as Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum based on the number of points they acquire, LEED rating system provides quantified and measurable standards for green buildings. In this video, Dockside Green in Victoria, B.C. is chosen as one of the sustainable examples of green buildings implemented by the LEED system. By successfully attaining LEED Platinum standards in its community design and construction process, Dockside green has created a livable community where the local economy is promoted, environment is protected, and residents enjoy it.
This video is produced by two students in the master program of Sustainable Leisure Management at Vancouver Island University who are inspired by the fact that there are LEED-certified buildings at VIU.
