This month, I will introduce a few subjects that we will either be hearing much more about in the months ahead or that have been around for a while with no sign of departure anytime soon.
Green Squared^® is a multi-attribute sustainability product standard for tiles and related installation materials which is currently undergoing the balloting and consensus process in the ANSI A108 Committee.

Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are a standardized way of reporting a product’s environmental impact so that consumers can make informed decisions. These are similar to the food industry’s “Nutrition Facts” strategy for reporting data on food products.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a suite of rating systems which can be used voluntarily in the design and assessment of green buildings.

The International Green Construction Code (IGCC) is set to launch in early 2012. Like other building codes, such as the plumbing code or electrical code, the green code will be considered law if adopted by local jurisdictions.

Expectations for sustainability and criteria for evaluation are ever evolving. From a big picture standpoint, it is critical that our industry focuses on the above subjects as they will occupy a large portion of the green building spotlight for the foreseeable future.