The construction industry has many opportunities to make buildings better, especially since buildings are arguably among the most destructive factors on the climate right now. This has caused the sector to go through a renaissance — redesigning its priorities to be greener, cleaner and more energy-efficient. Many tactics are well-intended, but a lack of regulatory accountability behind them leads to greenwashing that is difficult to detect. These are some of the sneakiest ways it manifests.
Poorly Sourced and Deceptively Sustainable Materials
While there are rules for some sourcing methods, such as organic and fair trade certifications, no general rule for what constitutes “sustainably sourced” exists. When any company places this on its branding, it can be misleading to consumers and businesses. The term only carries as much weight as the business gives it, which can be a lot or nothing at all. This is why “sustainably sourced” is the perfect vehicle for greenwashing.
For example, bamboo is highly renewable and grows rapidly. While this makes it one of the most sustainable materials to use, it becomes less eco-friendly when companies ship it from all over the world. Transportation emissions alone can undermine the sustainability of bamboo, outweighing its positive impact.
Additionally, if a forest claims to be a source of sustainable wood, it needs to be eco-conscious from all viewpoints. The land must be considerate of native wildlife, ethically support its laborers and ensure it does not encroach on Indigenous lands. There are many other criteria, but companies that follow only one of these metrics and still claim something is sustainably sourced would be exaggerating.
Green Roofs Without Proper Engineering
Green roofs are perfect for regulating temperatures, sequestering carbon and encouraging biodiversity. The intention behind them is climate-friendly, reducing urban heat islands and potentially mitigating food deserts for a more equitable society.
However, green roofs weigh between 10 and 100 or more pounds per square foot, depending on their intensity. The amount of water, soil and gardening infrastructure can place pressure on the top of a building. Failing to consider this could lead to catastrophic damage, including flooding and cave-ins, if the structure is poorly constructed.
Inefficient Solar Panel Installation
Renewable energy is a cornerstone of green living, and many residents and businesses place immense trust in solar panel installers. Most people have only been exposed to oil, natural gas and heat pumps, with managing an array being an entirely new skill to hone. However, the quality of every installation can vary, especially when privatized, compared with public utility infrastructure.
Independent contractors can be the reason behind a flawless array, as much as they can ruin a roof and make someone regret their investment in clean electricity. Private companies may allow panels to be installed in shaded areas, to be grounded into rooftop materials that cannot support their weight, or to use low-quality components that corrode and short-circuit.
There are also no regulations on how to properly install solar panels. While optional compliance agencies, such as the Green Building Council or the Living Building Challenge, provide guidance, their standards are not mandatory for architects and construction builders to consider.
Many companies offer best-practice recommendations, such as using ratchets instead of impact drivers to secure roof attachments and using quality pipe collars and sealants. Panels undergo hail-threat testing, but installations have yet to establish a framework for minimum quality and durability.
Overreliance on Smart Technology
Many tech companies have created tools, such as smart thermostats and sprinkler systems, that claim to save energy through automation or reduce resource consumption. These may be true, but there are several ways in which a lack of legislative oversight of these devices can do more harm than good.
Many residents are unaware of how to optimize or even use smart tools. The learning curve can be high, especially for those with disabilities and as new models add more features. The overwhelm could lead to complacency, causing users to ignore many helpful features that could reduce a building’s footprint. There is no rule for green buildings to mandate user training for these devices. If implemented, it would increase the likelihood that daily use is accurate and that users adhere to maintenance plans.
Additionally, overrelying on these tools rarely considers the embodied emissions and life cycle assessment of each device. The manufacturing environment, the way the materials were extracted and the energy required to transport the tools add greenhouse gas emissions for every device installed.
If the smart tech were designed with planned obsolescence in mind or lacks an end-of-life strategy, users end up sending e-waste to the landfill. There are no rules requiring companies that make these products to consider these elements, making a smart home’s carbon footprint highly individualized and lacking consistent eco-friendly benefits.
Airtight Buildings With Poor Ventilation
Securing a structure’s envelope is one of the best ways to maintain air quality and internal temperatures, preserving machinery and preventing it from overworking and wasting resources. However, airtightness will only go so far. Ventilation systems work synergistically with HVAC systems to maintain clean air quality.
If builders ignore upgraded ventilation, it could cause sick building syndrome, in which residents experience symptoms, such as headaches and skin rashes, in specific buildings. Building codes somewhat safeguard green structures from this fate, but airtightness is always linked with ventilation.
Failing Water Conservation Systems
Low-flow fixtures, such as toilets and faucets, have gradually become the norm. Even some local utility providers have established programs to give new showerheads and aerators to residents, cutting consumption with a few simple replacements.
However, they only save resources to a point. Poorly made components are bound to break, and everything in the home requires maintenance, just like its less-green counterparts. Neglecting quality and oversight will eventually cause water conservation systems to waste water and money, just like traditional systems.
Rainwater harvesting has also become a trend in the green building sphere because it prevents chemical runoff and mitigates flooding damage. But a lack of education and poor management can pose risks to residents and the environment. Without consistent flow and filtering, they can become breeding grounds for harmful bacteria, pests and contaminants, hurting households and wildlife. Subpar products are still being made, and training is not required to use these devices, which can have such a significant impact on the land.
Recycling and Waste Mismanagement On-Site
Construction professionals must consider the building phase and how sustainable it can be. Firms may boast a robust waste management plan, recycling or composting any construction waste and leftover materials. However, no auditor is going to come in and inspect every receptacle’s contents to ensure correct sorting or verify that none of the recycled materials went to the landfill.
It is not uncommon for many of these efforts to be little more than a show for stakeholders and investors. The lack of widespread requirements and accountability for third-party verifiers is a monumental gap in the industry that leads to deceptive business practices. If laws do exist, they tend to be more local or regionally specific.
Ignoring the Human Factor
The materials, resource consumption and energy used are all essential factors in what makes a building sustainable. However, many companies focus on these elements and forget that fair labor practices are a critical component of a comprehensive sustainability strategy.
An organization could use the greenest materials and craft the most energy-efficient structure in the world. Still, if the laborers were mistreated, discriminated against or underpaid, then it would fail to have a sustainable legacy. As many companies around the world show, treating workers fairly is merely a recommendation and is sometimes rarely followed.
Occupants are another human element to a green building. If the residents and visitors of a structure fail to use its eco-friendly fixtures, then its design will go underutilized. For example, covering south-facing windows with curtains reduces the natural light entering the home, which is intended to provide passive heating and cooling. Energy savings are lost, and the home loses some of its eco-friendly value.
While establishing post-occupancy evaluations would be complex, there may be ways to review structures for long-term sustainability in use to ensure people are capitalizing on their features.
Geographic and Climatic Mismatches
What counts as a sustainable building in the desert may not be effective or eco-friendly somewhere in the Arctic. The energy and resource needs in these climates are vastly different, requiring different setups for everything, from utilities to window placement.
Builders are not necessarily required to consider historical weather patterns during construction, though land surveys and similar evaluations can inform design choices. It is also not necessary to use a material that is best suited to a specific geography, so some companies may simply choose the most widely accepted sustainable option. This could lead to shortsighted decision-making.
A lack of mandates could unintentionally create a one-size-fits-all idea of a green building that cannot exist. Generic international green building standards may, in some cases, fail to account for this nuance in their recommendations, leading to counterproductive outcomes.
Striking a Greener Balance
Companies and individuals must advocate more consistently in the green building space. There is untapped potential to decarbonize every structure, and the clearer the guidance and mandates, the more likely construction firms and engineers will remain motivated to build eco-conscious societies.