Background

For the past year the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI - an association of building industry professionals focused on improving construction communications via developing standards and providing education), the U.S. EPA and GreenBlue (an environmental NGO specializing in sector-specific coalition building and supply chain transformation) have been exploring the potential of a Green Building Products Coalition. 

On May 11, 2010, the partners hosted an exploratory/organizing meeting that was attended by approximately 100 individuals in person and an additional 80 via web connection.  The goals of the meeting  was to organize a explore the formation of a credible forum for the building products industry and its supply chains to:

1. connect with environmental and health experts, government agencies, standards and certification bodies and other key stakeholders;
2. Provide education (i.e., CEU education programs - AIA, CSI CEN and GBCI, other approved) and create the resources and tools required to help the industry make better informed decisions and increase innovation in product design and manufacturing
3. facilitate better and more transparent communication between building product manufacturers and building system architects, specifies and contractors (e.e., clarity about what constitute acceptable, credible industry environmental reporting in conjunction with functional performance and compliance.