August 20, 2003—The Canadian Green Building Council (CaGBC), formed in response to the rapid growth and expansion of green building within the country, has now been officially launched. Canadian and international officials from government, non-profit, and building industry sectors, including leaders from the US Green Building Council (USGBC) and World Green Building Council, will be on hand for the celebration.
The CaGBC and USGBC will sign a licensing agreement to promote intercommunication between these countries. “Green building is revolutionizing the way the world builds,” said Christine Ervin, USGBC President and CEO. “Working with other countries to respond to the overwhelming market demand is the best way to preserve this positive momentum.”
The USGBC worked with the Greater Vancouver Regional District, City of Vancouver, BC Hydro, and Terasen Gas to develop green standards similar to the USGBC’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System (LEED). The result is the LEED BC Building Assessment System, which is a rework of the USGBC LEED version 2.1. CaGBC will unveil plans for promoting and expanding local green building initiatives utilizing the more cost-effective LEED adaptation.
