Summary

The Washington Metropolitan Region is growing. The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) forecasts that between 2005 and 2030, the region will gain 1.6 million new residents and 1.2 million new jobs. This economic prosperity will be accompanied by a growing demand for new buildings and property renovations to serve residents’ needs, and by an increasing strain on the region’s infrastructure. How the region builds will to a great extent determine the ongoing quality of life in the Washington Metropolitan Region, the capacity of municipal governments to manage infrastructure needs, and the quality of the region’s natural environment. Green building offers a set of building design and development practices that can help protect natural resources while improving the performance of the region’s building stock.

This report by the Intergovernmental Green Building Group (IGBG) of COG explores issues related to building practices and the region’s environment, reviews best practices and green building standards, and offers recommendations that local governments and COG can implement to improve the performance of buildings region wide.