“Green” or sustainability is how we live, work and build through intentional actions to preserve natural resources for future generations.
The ABC mission is to advance its members’ ability to support their customers and thrive in the green building industry by: - providing education and resources to ABC members and chapters;
- advocating for smart energy policy and legislation that supports ABC members;
- establishing partnerships and working with construction owners to champion green initiatives that are inclusive of ABC members; and
- developing and communicating best practices to ABC members and chapters to demonstrate a commitment to sustainability and promote an eco-friendly culture throughout the association.
ABC has been at the forefront of the green building movement since its inception. ABC member SIGAL Construction was a green building pioneer during the 1980s. In 1991, SIGAL Construction started SIGAL Environment and began incorporating environmentally preferable methods and materials into new construction projects. It was through this sustainable design and practice that SIGAL Environment went on to become a founding member of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). In addition, SIGAL was one of the authors of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. ABC members continue leading the construction industry by utilizing sustainable construction methods and practices. ABC understands that more thoughtful and environmentally responsible construction is an important step in ensuring we leave a softer footprint on the landscape for future generations.
According to Engineering News-Record in 2008, 53 of the Top 100 Green Contractors were ABC members, generating close to $15 billion in revenue with more than 2,800 LEED APs on staff.
One simple step ABC has taken toward “going green” was going paperless at the recent ABC National Board Meeting during the annual National Convention this past month. Instead of distributing hundreds of copies for each document reviewed by the National Board members, a flash-drive was issued to each member attending the meeting to be used with their own personal laptop brought to Hawaii. At the end of the meeting, the flash-drives were collected to be used again for the next Board meeting to be held in June.
Our own ABC Chapter also adopted this concept, and is now emailing their documentation and then running PowerPoint presentations of the information at the monthly meetings of the Board of Directors.
WAY TO GO ABC!