It’s hardly a trend any more. Although new ways of measuring green building strategies and objectives are continuously on the table, the idea of creating sustainable buildings is less a question of “maybe” and more a matter of “where, when, and by what rules.” In fact, as green building takes over as construction’s most coveted headline, the notion that sustainable building may soon become the only way to build doesn’t seem that far away.

In the meantime, green building rating systems are developing and evolving at an exponential rate. The USGBC released LEED Version 3 (v3)  in April 2009, which comprises of technical advancements to the LEED credits and points rating system; LEED Online – an upgrade that is faster and easier to use, featuring new help options; and Certification Model – an expanded certification infrastructure based on ISO standards, administered by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) for improved capacity, speed, and performance. Both USGBC and CAGBC also launched building performance monitoring programs in 2009, which provide building owners with a means of monitoring energy use and building performance, and assist with the long term achievement of having green buildings live up to their intended energy goals.

Just this winter the International Living Building Institute (ILBI) put its greenest foot forward at USGBC’s annual conference, launching version 2.0 of its Living Building Challenge green rating system. The new version takes green building to a whole new plane with accountability for local food production, social justice, community scale impacts, and unrestricted access to nature. Like most rating systems, the original version was applicable to individual buildings, but version 2.0 has been expanded to include rating parameters for small in-home remodels, community initiatives, and infrastructure projects including bridges, roads, and parks.

While having a plethora of options and rating systems goes a long way to create better awareness and flexible design possibilities, it can also be a hindrance for construction professionals interested in aligning their practices while retaining a robust and mobile skill set.

George Gritziotis, president of the Construction Sector Council says issues of sustainability will definitely have a lasting impact on the industry in the years to come, more in the form of building awareness and competency than in changing how services are provided. “One concern we have is that many organizations are going down the road to providing services to facilitate green building, and that could be sending mixed signals from the different levels of provincial and regional organizations,” says Gritziotis. “There are lots of rating systems; how do contractors know which is the best and what are the appropriate skills to have? They are wondering, ‘how and to which system do I attach myself?’ We have to rationalize the organizations out there and streamline them to see what fits best.”

He adds that because construction is a national industry and federal initiatives are often focused on greater mobility for workers, having so many regional and local initiatives on the go can mean that when one jurisdiction differs from another, it doesn’t facilitate mobility. “Going forward in green building for us is looking at how to make the industry work consistently across Canada.”

An important response to Canada’s economic slowdown has been to make use of downtime by advancing professional development and skills training for workers and management. Expenditures in support of trades training and community college programs are increasing with the objective of recruiting new bodies to the industry, and certification in LEED, Living Building Challenge, Green Globes, and others, as well association-led initiatives such as ASHRAE’s Building EQ building energy rating program are also ways seasoned professionals are staying on top of projects that command depth in environmental knowledge and practices.

“Green Building will encourage contractors to under take the training necessary to construct these facilities,” says Hilary Howes, executive director of the Construction Association of New Brunswick. “Most contractors are looking forward to the challenges these new building techniques pose. There are, however, some concerns over the cost and availability of the training.”

Even if people aren’t jumping to get certified, the normalization of sustainability is creating a profound sense of awareness that is inspiring regional governments and private company owners to take environmentally-focused initiative. Luc Bourgoin, chief economist for l’Association de la construction du Quebec (Construction Association of Quebec) says an increasing number of firms in that province’s industrial and commercial sectors  are adopting their own environmental measures. “Various ministries and agencies of the Quebec government have published sustainable development action plans,” he says. “Consequently, we expect institutional projects to become more respectful of environment standards in the coming years.”

In addition, home owners and home buyers are insisting more on environmental measures such as energy efficiency, and these changes have prompted contractors to become more aware of the different requirements involved in the accomplishment of a green project (LEED, Novoclimat, etc.), he adds.

Part of the learning curve in understanding green building is the adoption of sustainable practices by subtrades. Murray Corey, executive director for the BC Wall and Ceiling Association says that while his members build what is designed, it does pay to have an idea of the ways his trade contributes to green building.

“We look at wood versus steel and the recyclable factor, knowing where the drywall is coming from, and understanding how far your materials are produced from the jobsite,” he says. “Those are the biggest items when it comes to being on the job. Our members have to continue to educate themselves about it because it is the new reality and that’s a good thing.”