Over the past decade or so, an increasing number of buildings have come up around the world that has scored high on green rating systems such as LEED; BREEAM; DGNB; Green Star; WELL; Swiss National Sustainable Construction, and others. These buildings include residential-cum-retail high-rises, shopping malls, commercial buildings, education centers, healthcare facilities, convention centers, and more. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is probably the most widely used green building rating system in the world today. In terms of absolute numbers of LEED-certified buildings, the US leads the world, with China and Canada in second and third places. India comes fourth, followed by the UAE in fifth place. If the metric were to be the number of green buildings in relation to population size, the Cayman Islands would emerge as the surprise leader with 202 green buildings per 100,000 people. It is followed by Guam, the US, Qatar, and Canada, where this ratio is significantly smaller. There is a growing number of not just green buildings but also “green professionals” who are responsible for smart design, construction, and operations practices and decisions They are the engine of the green building movement, driving innovation and better performance across the built environment. World Green Building Week celebrates the contribution of these individuals to creating healthy and sustainable communities.

According to a report by Acumen Research and Consulting, the global green construction market size is expected to reach a value of more than USD 774 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of more than 11.8% over the next eight years. The International Energy Agency estimates that the current global building stock of 223 billion square meters will almost double by 2050, while the World Green Building Council has stated that the building sector must operate at “net zero carbon” by that time if global warming is to be kept below two degrees Celsius. There’s still a long way to go. According to a recent report by the World Green Building Council, there are presently only 500 net-zero commercial buildings and 2,000 net-zero homes around the world – which is less than even 1 percent of all buildings worldwide.1 There is a clear and urgent need for the coordinated efforts of businesses, governments, and non-governmental to green the building sector in their respective countries. And that’s precisely what World Green Building Week reminds us about – to act now for a greener, healthier future.