Examining whether LEED 'succeeds' in terms of promoting environmental Essay

Examining whether LEED 'succeeds' in terms of promoting environmental awareness to the public - Essay Example The non-committal pursuit of economic growth by the countries and the immense poverty in many regions has caused extensive environmental degeneration. This has given rise to the need for immediate understanding and implementation of the sustainable development processes. The increase in the human needs and the simultaneous increase in the production capacities of the countries with the help of the scarce natural resources without any concern for the productive capacity of the future have aggravated the situation. Sustainability is a vast concept that encompasses a lot of dimensions. On one hand it requires proper utilization of resources without damaging the natural reserves. On the other hand it involves improvement of the products and services available to the people. Sustainable development addresses both environmental as well as the social issues since they are interdependent of each other. Successful implementation of sustainable modes of development requires the alleviation of poverty and inequality. This dependence of the environmental issues on society and economy is a crucial feature of sustainable development.... The USGBC is a nonprofit organization. They work towards encouraging the public to adopt sustainable building practices. LEED certification has a number of purposes. Their foremost purpose is to provide a guideline in designing buildings that are more sustainable in their operation. As the name suggests, they try to identify and give recognition to the leaders who are adopting the changes towards the new paradigms of construction enterprise, aiming at a more environment conscious society. The Council intends to raise awareness among the people for green buildings, provide guidelines to highlight the latest industry practices and develop the markets for green buildings. The certificate intends to develop a competitive market for green buildings in the industry. In this way change the nature of the construction market. The certificate has been developed as a brand that is recognized and trusted by the customers. Their demand for this certificate for building homes and offices will ulti mately shape the market demand. As the customers become more and more aware of the ‘green’ brand, the problem of addressing the issue of sustainable development will be achieved (â€Å"Green Building Grant Program & Promotion of LEED Certified Building in the City of El Paso†) The main points of emphasis of the LEED certificates are the sustainability of the sites, efficient utilization of water, energy consumption, and maintenance of the atmosphere. They also encourage the use of sustainable natural resources. A significant emphasis is given on the process of innovation and design (â€Å"Green Building Grant Program & Promotion of LEED Certified Building in the City of El