At recent meetings of the CSI Building Product Manufacturers Alliance (BPMA) and in conversations with manufacturers on GreenFormat, the challenges that product manufacturers face sorting through the many codes, labels, regulations, rating systems and standards facing them has come out as being a common problem faced by all. The experience of the BPMA has taught us that a multi-disciplinary group can leverage the diverse experience of its members to produce interesting results. With this in mind and to also promote an organized, structured and transparent approach to dealing with the increasing overload of information CSI became interested in seeking a broader solution than we felt we could engender working through the BPMA and GreenFormat.

We also have been hearing from CSI members who are increasingly overwhelmed with how to make the right choice when selecting and specifying products. While LEED drives many of the decisions made to improve environmental performance - LEED is about projects not products. And LEED and other standards and ratings often focus on single attributes (not that there is anything wrong with this per se) where a more comprehensive view of product and manufacturer performance might lead to a better choice. A choice that also needs to be balanced with overall performance as well as environmental performance - we have all heard stories of applications made to satisfy one environmental criteria that end up failing prematurely due to missing other aspects of performance.

In meetings with representatives of the EPA we found that they shared similar concerns and were interested in supporting the creation of a group that could focus on the challenges faced by product manufacturers across the life cycle of products. They had been exploring the challenges of improving the performance of building products in workshops held with USGBC, ANSI and at regional offices. They had worked with GreenBlue on the formation of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) and suggested we explore working together with them to see if we could build a similar organization for the building industry. The SPC (www.sustainablepackaging.org) has successfully brought together material suppliers, brand owners, retailers, recyclers and waste managers to collaborate on defining best practices, learning, education and tools for packaging of all types of products.

We also knew that the USGBC while not directly focused on product performance had to consider many aspects of product performance in developing and applying the LEED rating system. Though they have addressed products and materials directly, most notably in the area of wood, their focus is not solely on this aspect of building performance. And in remarks made at the most recent CSI BPMA meeting last year, made it clear that they do not see dealing broadly with products in the same way they deal with projects as part of their current mission but would like to see someone take this on.

With these and other things in mind, we are proposing the creation of the Green Building Product Coalition (GBPC). We have done informal research with individuals, at meetings and with the BPMA and believe there is a need and an opportunity to create an organization along the lines of the SPC. We are meeting prior to CONSTRUCT and the CSI Annual Meeting in Philadelphia on May 11 to explore this idea and see what support we have for moving forward. While we are interested in this we only want to pursue it if it can be an organization that fills a void and offers real value. We are not interested in creating yet another organization that further dilutes resources and effort towards solving the many challenges we face making our buildings healthier for the environment and occupants.