The U.S. landscape is slowly undergoing a transformation. Sustainable development is the buzzword and a number of developers are using green practices to ensure sustainability.
The latest report by U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is testimony to this change. It shows that the total footprint of commercial projects certified under the LEED green building program has surpassed two billion square feet.
An additional seven billion-square feet is in the pipeline.
“In communities around the globe, leaders from every sector of the building industry are reinventing their local landscapes with buildings that enliven and bolster the health of our environment, communities and local economies,” Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO & Founding Chair, USGBC, said in a statement.
Green buildings have helped to open up employment options, too. Fedrizzi points out that apart from energizing the economy by funneling $554 billion annually, these green buildings have helped support 7.9 million jobs across the U.S.
That number is set to increase by 2013 as the demand for green buildings picks up.
“Green building accounts for more than one-third of all non-residential design and construction and will grow to more than one-half of all construction within the next five years,” the report states.
Therefore, the demand for skilled workers such as construction managers, carpenters, electricians, architects, truck drivers and cost estimators will see a substantial increase. However, the supply of workforce trained in green jobs doesn't meet the requirement, says a May 2012 report on the green building industry by McGraw-Hill Construction.
“Training is essential for getting and maintaining green jobs; 30 percent of green job workers say they needed additional training when they started and most report that formal education and training programs will continue to be needed," the report said. "Hiring firms agree; 71 percent of hiring decision makers maintain that being credentialed increases competitiveness.”
One solution to this hurdle is the USGBC education and training program. It is estimated that LEED-related spending has already generated 15,000 jobs since 2000. By 2013 an additional 230,000 jobs will be created, Booz Allen Hamilton said in his Green Jobs Study.
