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Green Building Council to Launch Atlantic Chapter

(Friday, September 9/05)–An organization committed to transforming the design and construction industry into being more environmentally aware and sensitive is setting up a chapter in Atlantic Canada.

The Atlantic Chapter of the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) will be launched on Wednesday, September 14, 2005 from 4:00 to 6:00 pm during a ceremony at Halifax City Hall. Remarks will be provided by Mayor Peter Kelly and CaGBC president Thomas Mueller.

It is expected the Chapter will play a pivotal role in transforming the industry towards environmentally responsible design, construction and operation of “green” buildings.

“We are looking for champions -- individuals and companies committed to changing the way we design and construct buildings in Atlantic Canada,” says Interim Chair, Jennifer MacNeill, an account executive with Interface Flooring Systems. “In just a few short years, green building concepts have swept across the industry around the world. That just doesn’t happen by itself. It takes leadership, strength and vision to shift the status quo. The Atlantic Chapter of the CaGBC will provide that leadership.”

Both the private and public sectors in Atlantic Canada have shown interest in adopting pro-active green building standards, such as the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). This tool is licensed and administered by the CaGBC as a means to quantify and certify the level of green building achievement. Points are awarded for achievement in five broad categories: site sustainability, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. Points can also be awarded for innovation in design. Achievement based on points results in the acknowledgment of Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum levels following a thorough evaluation by CaGBC assessment teams. There are already seven new building projects registered for LEED assessment in Atlantic Canada.

With offices in Ottawa and Vancouver, the CaGBC has already grown to almost 1,000 member organizations since its birth in 2002. The Atlantic Chapter is among the first in Canada and now joins other chapters in several other provinces. All chapters share the same vision of a transformed built environment, leading to a sustainable future. For building owners this translates into bottom-line savings over the life of green buildings; for building users and occupants, this means healthier indoor environments; for cities less costly
infrastructure and smaller ecological footprints wherever green building concepts prevail.

The CaGBC is a business-to- business organization with membership from the business community and government sector. Membership fees are determined according to the size and type of organization. Local chapters, such as the Atlantic Chapter, consist of individual memberships from the broad constituency representing the design professions, manufacturers, suppliers, contractors, and representatives from the real estate, development, and financial sectors. Membership in the Atlantic Chapter, a registered non-profit organization, is free.

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John O’Brien
Manager, HRM Corporate Communications
(902) 490-6531

Jennifer MacNeill
Interim Chair, Atlantic Chapter, CaGBC
(902) 456-4350

 

 

 

Above content last modified Tuesday, September 24, 2024 at 4:06pm.