In addition to the entire building not needing to be certified for Green Globes, the initiative also promotes a substantial amount of additional benefits for business owners. These benefits include allowing users to pick and choose the strategies that best apply to each project in order to meet the mandated point minimums, covering emissions, energy, IEQ, materials, project management, and water. In addition, a minimum number of weighted criteria must be met in the energy efficiency, indoor environmental, and material choices and resource consumption sectors of the assessment areas. This departure from the standard Green Globes assessment of having to meet all seven criteria allows for a great deal of flexibility for building owners.
According to GBI president Jerry Yudelson GBI's press release, “One of the aspects that makes Green Globes for Sustainable Interiors so versatile–and practical–is that it enables tenants to certify the specific environmental and sustainability attributes of the space they lease. Other certifications include aspects of the entire building and surroundings, and as a result tenant improvements can be penalized for conditions they do not control.”
By doing this, Green Globes SI allows building owners to use their initiative to their benefit without having to accommodate unnecessary standards. In order to meet the standards, Green Globes SI will use a third-party assessor to review building characteristics and documentation that is provided by the building owner. This third-party assessor will need to document a full report as well as be available for online or telephone support with the building owner during the certification process to answer any questions that may arise.
Upon submission of the report and achievement of the necessary criteria, the company will receive a final certification for the project from GBI.
For more information about the initiative, visit the GBI Green Globes' website.
What is Green Globes?
Green Globes is a green building guidance and assessment program that offers a practical and affordable way to advance the environmental performance and sustainability of a wide variety of building types. The Green Globes program includes:
- A comprehensive environmental assessment protocol
- Software tools that speed and simplify online assessment
- Best practices guidance for green construction and operations
- Third-party assessors with green building expertise
- A rating/certification system
Green Education Services has a full line up of courses specializing in Energy Efficiency Training as well as LEED Certification, a competing green building rating system.