The picture on green building is getting clearer: Green building is growing around the world and quickly becoming an industry standard. A new research study conducted by McGraw-Hill Construction on global green building trends demonstrates that green building is well established across the globe and is expected to grow even more over the next five years. The study found that players across the industry—including owners, architects, engineers, contractors and consultants—engaging with green building have grown steadily. Firms doing more than 60% of their work in green building have grown from 18% in 2009 to 28% in 2012. By 2017, more than half the industry (51%) expects more than 60% of their work will be green building, a testament to the engagement of the industry.
One global trend that is helping to promote this growth is a shift from doing green building out of environmental and social motives to being driven by strong business imperatives. The study demonstrates that while, in 2008, the largest percentage of green builders was engaged in the practice because it was the "right thing to do," that percentage has dropped; the predominant forces driving the market now include business factors such as client and market demands for green building, lower operating costs, and green branding and marketing advantages.