Why do I need the LEED Plaque?

That's a fair question. If you build responsibly, follow LEED guidelines, incorporate best practices and focus on sustainability, why do you need the added expense of certification?

How about this... According to a recent article in Urban Land Magazine, ULI's periodical, not having the third-party certification may hurt future sales opportunies. Charles Lockwood, a green real estate authority and consultant in southern California, had some interesting things to say about green real estate space:

"Green is now becoming the rule - not the exception - in some office markets. Expect other building types - retail, industrial, warehouse and hotels - to go green shortly.

This past May, a top New York real estate broker, in a conversation at a conference with ULI president, worldwide, Richard M. Rosan, told him: 'You won't believe what's happened. Today, none of the leading companies will look at office space in New York unless it's green. They won't look at it.'

Companies are not restricting their green demands to New York. Brokers in Washington, DC, report that Class A buildings without a LEED plaque are at a disadvantage.

Around the world, companies are insisting on green workplaces. In Australia, for example, 'Every commercial tenant seeking more than 10,000 square meters requires five- or six-star Green Star space, the equivalent of LEED-Gold or Platinum,' says Che Wall, chair of the World Green Building Council.

Driving the green juggernaut are all the familiar benefits of green: lower operating costs, improved workforce productivity, reduced employee absenteeism, lower health care costs, greater drawing power to attract and retain skilled workers, higher property values, and increased profit for building owners and investors. More recently, green also is being driven by a greater awareness of how buildings contribute to global climate change, by a major shift in how many corporations view the environment, and by worker and shareholder demand for green workplaces.

How does the green juggernaut affect tenants? Green development results in healthier workplaces that are most competitive in terms of attracting desirable skilled workers, lowering operation costs, and providing a green image that will gratify shareholders and lore clients.

How does the green juggernaut affect building owners and investors? They will need to prepare for the looming obselescence of their existing conventional buildings. But, that massive obsolescence will, in turn, create a major new profit center for owners and investors and the entire real estate industry - the green renovations of existing convential buildings."

This market transformation has well-surpassed the "this is just another trend" stage. It will take a special kind of traditionalist to continue to say this is another passing phase. Green's here to stay and will only continue to transform real estate, development, design, and construction. The question then becomes: Are you going to be part of the transformation? Or are you going to be the one running from behind the industry to catch up?

Part of the transformation, then? Great choice!

So, back to our initial question: Why do I need the LEED Plaque? Not only does the third-party certification ensure sales and occupancy opportunity in future transactions, but it also affirms that the building meets or exceeds certain standards. It's your report card. It's something you can bring to the table and say, "Look what we did!"

And, most importantly, it is your Statement of Authenticity. When faced with the choice between purchasing the LEED-Silver Building A and 'green' Building B, what are you going to choose? There is simply too much greenwashing out there to risk Building B, no matter how much the agent tells you. I want to see the Report Card and the LEED-Silver Building has one.

An important note on the cost of certification: In a 50,000 square foot building, the cost for certification (for a USGBC member) is $1750.

Is that report card worth $1750? Absolutely.