Study: Builders Slow To Embrace Green

May 11, 2008

Email this story Print this post Add your comments

A green building study by the Boston College Institute for Responsible Investment and investment management group Calvert Group found that not one of America’s 13 largest publicly traded home builders has “fully embraced the emerging market of sustainable building design and construction,” according to a report on CNBC.

According to the report, “the biggest challenge facing this group” is that most builders “have not acknowledged that there is a market for green homes or that they have a role in serving or promoting it.”

Based on energy use, building-material use, water use and land use, the report says Los Angeles-based KB Home gets top rankings, while Hovnanian Enterprises, Standard Pacific, and NVR are on the so-called bottom run of sustainability.

Builders have estimated that by the end of this decade 10 percent of all new homes will be green buildings.

In October, the National Association of Home Builders said it would launch a green building standard of its own that would compete with the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating tools for residential and commercial buildings.

Email this story Print this post Add your comments

Advertisers

Make sustainability part of your strategy.

Get equipped at the SAP Sustainability Resource Center. >>

Unclear about the EPA's new GHG Rule?

Learn how it could affect your business. >>

EPA mandatory emissions reporting starts Jan 1st

CSA Standards can help your organization get ready for compliance. Find out how. >>

Product Environmental Compliance Best Practices

How to achieve compliance at a significantly lower cost. Download the full report. >>

Join the Discussion

Reader Comments

Check out this US Carbon Footprint Map, an interactive United States Carbon Footprint Map, illustrating Greenest States to Cities. This site has all sorts of stats on individual State & City energy consumptions, demographics and much more down to your local US City level…

http://www.eredux.com/states/

ed | May 11th, 2008

Recent Daily News [ see all ]

11/20/2009
11/19/2009
11/18/2009

Charts [ see all ]

European Paper Industry Cuts CO2 Emissions by 42% since 1990

S. America Takes Most Urgent View of Copenhagen Talks

Nike Tops Annual Climate Action Scores

Oceans May Trap more Carbon than Forests

Jobs

View All Jobs >> Post a Job >>

Comments and Discussions

Trade Association on Trade Group on EPA Chemical Regs: ‘If Everything is a Priority, Then Nothing is a Priority’
"Seriously… that..."

Gary Markowitz on Supermarkets Tackle Emissions Reductions, Fuel Efficiency
"Supermarkets waste over 10 percent of their energy through improper..."

peter in ireland on Ontario May Follow California’s Lead on TV Energy Efficiency
"Governor Schwarzenegger is shooting himself in the foot! 1...."

Environmental Leader on S. America Takes Most Urgent View of Copenhagen Talks
"The survey respondents (the PDF report mentions 4,000 respondents in 38..."

Jake on UPS Trying New Hydraulic Hybrid Trucks
"A point of clarification: the Reuters press release referenced herein reports that 20 UPS will purchase..."

Custom Organic Shirts on S. America Takes Most Urgent View of Copenhagen Talks
"90% of North Americans believe it is urgent to get a global climate..."

peter dublin on California City’s Green Building Ordinance Applies to Commercial Buildings
"Why energy efficiebnt regulation on buildings –..."

Environmental Leader