The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has formally recognized the Green Building Initiative™ as an accredited national standards developer. Making the Green Building Initiative the first green building organization permitted to develop, maintain and withdraw American national standards.
On the heels of this announcement, the Green Building Initiative submitted an application to establish Green Globes™ — the first Web-based environmental design and rating system for commercial buildings in the United States — as an American National Standard (ANS).
"ANSI accreditation demonstrates that the Green Building Initiative is committed to the ideals of openness, balance and consensus," says Ward Hubbell, executive director of the non-profit Green Building Initiative. "We are happy to be recognized as an ANSI standards developer, but eager to proceed to the next step in this process by establishing Green Globes as an American National Standard. Doing so will take us one step closer to our goal of increasing adoption of green building practices among mainstream builders, architects and developers.
"As an American National Standard, Green Globes will help users integrate sustainable design principles into their buildings with the knowledge that the standard is backed by the best science and consensus-based development procedures."
In accordance with ANSI requirements, the Green Building Initiative is now assembling a technical committee to oversee the standard. The entire process of establishing Green Globes as a national standard is estimated to take up to two years.
For more information about the Green Building Initiative or ANSI, visit www.thegbi.org