In this report, the Secretariat of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) recommends that North American leaders make green building a foundational driver for environmental, social, and economic improvement in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

What is green building and how can it become such an important instrument for change?

Green building refers to the use of environmentally preferable practices and materials in the design, location, construction, operation and disposal of buildings. It applies to both renovation and retrofi tting of existing buildings and construction of new buildings, whether residential or commercial public or private.