The Pennsylvania Environmental Council released a new report, Building Green: Overcoming Barriers in Philadelphia, that identifies obstacles to green building in Philadelphia and recommends solutions to dissolving those barriers.

The report identified the lack of political will and strong leadership as the greatest barrier to Green Building in the city.

While Philadelphia has been ranked the 8th most sustainable city in America by SustainLane US (2006), the rankings showed how poorly the city stacks up in categories such as Air Quality and City Innovation (green public policy); in Green Building and Recycling, Philadelphia ranked among the lowest in the nation. Building Green is one of the responses to the weaknesses cited in the SustainLane City Rankings.

The report also acknowledges the many incremental steps taken by green champions throughout city government and the private development community to green city buildings and infrastructure.

Changing the ways we design, build and operate our buildings and infrastructure is the most powerful way we can address the environmental challenges facing the city and the planet. Green buildings improve human health and productivity and make good economic sense.

In the United States, buildings account for 76 percent of all electric consumption, 48 percent of greenhouse gas emissions and 40 percent of landfill waste. Buildings consume 40 percent of all our natural resources.

Benefits of green building include:

· Children educated in green classrooms score 20 percent higher on standardized tests;

· Every green public school saves enough money to pay for two teachers;

· Green offices experience productivity gains as high as 17 percent;

· Green homes are selling faster than conventional homes;

· Green building strategies have a 20 to 1 return on investment;

· Green buildings lease faster and command higher rents; and

· Recovery times for patients in green hospitals is often cut in half.

Building Green research is a compilation of one year's worth of data collection through focus groups conducted by a team of researchers led by past President of the US Green Building Council Chair, Sandy Wiggins. The team heard from respondents in all segments of the building trades, development community and public officials.

Building Green: Overcoming Barriers in Philadelphia is available online.

NewsClips: PA Environmental Council Gives Philadelphia Green Blueprint

Philadelphia Explores Options to Begin Building Green

Philadelphia Gets Poor Marks on Being Green

3/14/2008