Portland, Ore. - On Sept. 22, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) formally recognized the Green Building Initiative as an accredited national standards developer - the organization will be 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,” said 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 - which will include a balance of users, producers and interested third parties - to oversee the standard. The entire process of establishing Green Globes as a national standard is estimated to take up to two years. GBI's ANSI-approved procedures will guide technical committee review, research, revision and voting on the standard, all in an effort to reach consensus on the final document. GBI will require the committee to accommodate input and objections from all stakeholders. Once finalized, ANSI will evaluate the evidence of consensus and the final standard may claim designation as an American National Standard.

“GBI's leadership in pursuing ANSI accreditation for Green Globes is already having a profound and positive impact in the green building field,” said Paul Bertram, a member of the U.S. Green Building Council, a member of the Sustainable Buildings Industry Council, a vice president on the executive board of the Construction Specifications Institute, and a board member of the Green Building Initiative. “Not only is this good for builders, architects and designers, it's also good for the green building movement itself.”

Green Globes for new construction — marketed in the United States by the Green Building Initiative - is an adaptation of a system that has been used in Canada for several years. For more information about the Green Building Initiative or ANSI, visit www.thegbi.org.