Global Survey Shows 'Green' Construction Costs Dramatically Lower Than BelievedRespondents to a 1400 person global survey estimated the additional cos

From a Building Design + Construction magazine news item: There's still a lot of learning to be done out there!

Respondents to a 1400 person global survey estimated the additional cost of building green at 17 percent above conventional construction, more than triple the true cost difference of about 5 percent. At the same time, survey respondents put greenhouse gas emissions by buildings at 19 percent of world total, while the actual number of 40 percent is double this.

The findings are disclosed in a new report titled "Energy Efficiency in Buildings: Business Realities and Opportunities," which summarizes the first phase of the WBCSD's project. The project is co-chaired by Lafarge and United Technologies Corporation. Other participating companies are CEMEX, DuPont, Electricite de France, Gaz de France, Kansai, Philips, Sonae Sierra, and Tepco. The report is available at www.wbcsd.org