Sustainable design (also referred to as "green design", "eco-design", or "design for environment") is the art of designing physical objects to comply with the principles of economic, social, and ecological sustainability. It ranges from the microcosm of designing small objects for everyday use, through to the macrocosm of designing buildings, cities, and the earth's physical surface. It is a growing trend within the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, engineering, industrial design and interior design.

The essential aim of sustainable design is to produce places, products and services in a way that reduces use of non-renewable resources, minimizes environmental impact, and relates people with the natural environment.

Sustainable design utilizes tools such as life cycle assessment and life cycle energy analysis to judge the environmental impact or "greenness" of various design choices.

Buildings consume 70% of the electricity load in the U.S. (USGBC)
The most significant factor contributing to CO2 emissions from buildings is their use of electricity. Commercial and residential buildings are tremendous users of electricity, accounting for more than 70% of electricity use in the U.S.

Buildings Account for 38% of CO2 emissions in the United States (USGBC)
The commercial and residential building sector accounts for 38% of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the United States per year, more than any other sector.

Green buildings provide abundant opportunities for saving energy and mitigating CO2 emissions (USGBC)
Building green can reduce CO2 emissions while improving the bottom line through energy and other savings.

Industry
U.S. Construction market in 2001 (includes all commercial, residential, industrial) represents 20% of U.S. economy
Source: National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National science and Technology Council: Construction Industry Statistics, 1995

Waste
The EPA estimates that 136 million tons of building-related construction and demolition (C&D) debris was generated in the U.S. in a single year
Source: http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/debris/about.htm, and U.S. EPA Characterization of Construction and Demolition Debris in the United States, 1997 Update.

Compare that to 209.7 million tons of municipal solid waste generated in the same year. Source: U.S. EPA Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste in the United States, 1997 Update. Report No. EPA530-R-98-007

Materials
Construction and demolition waste constitute 40% of the total solid waste stream in the U.S.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.

LEED provides a roadmap for measuring and documenting success for every building type and phase of a building lifecycle. Specific LEED programs include:

• New Commercial Construction and Major Renovation projects
• Existing Building Operations and Maintenance
• Commercial Interiors projects
• Core and Shell Development projects
• Homes
• Neighborhood Development
• Guidelines for Multiple Buildings and On-Campus Building Projects
• LEED for Schools
• LEED for Retail

For more information visit http://www.usgbc.org