USGBC's Strategic Plan Adds New Standard

USGBC's 2009-2013 Strategic Plan, adopted in July, resulted from a year-long research process.

Nicholas Tamarin -- Interior Design, 10/9/2008

The United States Green Building Council’s newly released 2009-2013 Strategic Plan doesn’t just establish the organization’s priorities for the foreseeable future. It also adds as a brand-new touchstone -- fostering social equity -- that the organization will take into consideration when evaluating the success and integrity of its own work, and the works of others.

The USGBC's board of directors adopted the plan at its July board meeting following a yearlong research process, the most comprehensive and inclusive in its 15-year history.

The heart of the plan, of course, is the “strategic imperative” of accelerating green building demand, delivery and accessibility. Goals include securing the building sector's active participation in achieving sustainable cities and communities, and the eventual elimination of the building industry's contribution to climate change and natural resource depletion. The plan also advocates green building policies and codes for all levels of U.S. government, and promoting green building worldwide through regionally appropriate practices and policies.

But the biggest news could be the addition of “Foster Social Equity” as a new Guiding Principal for the organization, the direct result of last year’s establishment of USGBC’s Social Equity Task Force.

“USGBC intends for the human community, in the broadest sense, to benefit from green built environments, regardless of income, race or any other social factor,” says the report. “And we are committed to more fully integrating social equity into our work.”

The plan specifies that the USGBC must consult with diverse communities, including the underserved and communities of color, and be proactive in advancing social equity objectives. It also calls on USGBC to collaborate with social justice and quality-of-life advocates, in order to integrate the theories and practices of social and economic justice with those of sustainable building.

With the addition of the social equity standard, USGBC now has six Guiding Principals. The others: Promote the Triple Bottom Line, Establish Leadership, Reconcile Humanity with Nature, Maintain Integrity and Ensure Inclusiveness.

Photography courtesy of Peter W. Taggart and USGBC.