Portland, Ore. – The Green Building Initiative (GBI) is pleased to share its 2022 Lookback, a report highlighting its communities’ achievements in 2022. These achievements include GBI’s Board of Directors approving a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB), the certification of over 300 buildings across 43 states and 8 Canadian provinces, and passing the milestone of certifying 500 million total square feet through GBI’s Green Globes® certification and other verification programs. The 2022 Lookback is available online at http://thegbi.org/2022-lookback/.
“We are excited to see GBI’s mission impact growing every year,” said Vicki Worden, GBI President and CEO. “The GBI community is passionate about reducing the built environment’s climate impacts and it has turned this passion into momentum that has expanded the availability of Green Globes in new markets and allowed us to welcome over 250 new individuals under our professional credentialing programs. We are pleased to review our growth in the 2022 Lookback and to share our appreciation for those that are making it all possible.”
More than 68.3 million square feet of space was certified by GBI in 2022 covering every type of commercial building. Multifamily properties continue to be the leading property type pursuing Green Globes certification, followed by warehouse/storage projects that increased by 41% compared to 2021, healthcare buildings that grew by 55%, and office buildings that increased by about 12%.
In addition to the progress made through certifications, there were many other accomplishments celebrated in the Lookback including:
- GBI welcoming five new cities and municipalities that added Green Globes certification to their green building policies, including Fairfax County, Virginia; Montgomery County, Maryland; Miami-Dade, Florida; Evanston, Illinois and Delray Beach, Florida
- Launching the Green Globes Distinction in Health & Wellness for Existing Buildings and New Construction certifications
- Significant growth in the size of GBI community, including 45 new organizational members, 129 new Green Globes emerging Professionals, 121 new Green Globes Professionals and Guiding Principles Compliance professionals and 7 new Green Globes and Guiding Principles Compliance Fellows
By every measure, last year was among the most successful in GBI’s history for progressing the organization’s mission forward. The 2022 Lookback is a chance for the GBI community and the public to reflect on what has been accomplished in developing tools and education that promote sustainable, healthy, and resilient buildings.