Natural Resources Canada
98/77
October 26, 1998

GREEN BUILDINGS ON THE AGENDA AT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

VANCOUVER — Environmentally friendly buildings improve indoor air quality and comfort, reduce garbage going to landfills and save energy. Nearly 600 of the world's leading experts in building design and research from over 25 countries are attending the Green Building Challenge (GBC) '98, an international conference being held in Vancouver from October 26 to 28.

"Buildings consume one-third of the total amount of the energy used in Canada every year," said Ralph Goodale, Minister of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), addressing the opening plenary session this morning. "You've got the opportunity in the building sector to create a whole new generation of commercial buildings and a world trade in products and services that are more efficient and healthier for people and the environment."

The conference is the culmination of a two-year development and testing process for a new international method to assess the environmental performance of buildings. This new system assigns values to green building features, creating an objective standard for the buildings. Participating countries can modify the criteria within the system to suit their own national and regional conditions and various types of buildings.

This first-of-its-kind conference includes an international showcase of energy-efficient and environmentally responsible building designs and products from around the world. Delegates will exchange information and experiences on the use of specific building assessment tools and methods, and discuss the challenges and opportunities for green buildings and environmental assessment tools. There will be an evening of free public lectures and a display of posters created by British Columbia school children, showing their views of how buildings affect the environment.

"GBC is an incredibly successful example of international cooperation on a truly global issue to achieve our shared environmental goals," said Minister Goodale. "Through team work, we will continue making progress in developing a new generation of commercial buildings that emit fewer greenhouse gases and contribute to the general health of the environment."

NRCan spearheaded the development of the system and the conference, in partnership with 30 organizations from 14 different countries. Following the conference, the green building assessment system will be further developed and rigorously tested in the 14 participating countries over the next two years. The teams will reconvene in the Netherlands in 2000 to present their results.

For more information contact:
John Embury
Press Secretary
Natural Resources Canada
(613) 996-2007