WORLD PROPERTY CHANNEL ®

(OYSTER BAY, NY) -- Cement, engineered wood and insulation products. These are three of the key commercial and residential construction materials that will probably look and feel different in the coming years.

It's part of a growing worldwide movement to convince builders to use less toxic materials to improve the environment.

A newly released study by NextGen Research of Oyster Bay, NY, states the worldwide green building materials market was valued at $455.3 billion in 2008.

The study forecasts the market will grow at a  compound annual growth rate of nearly 5% to reach $571 billion by 2013.
 
Larry Fisher, research director of NextGen Research, says green building has become "a global phenomenon, driving innovation in the products that are used and the buildings in which we live and work.

"What started with a handful of government buildings utilizing first-generation sustainable building products is now a worldwide movement, with commercial construction and residential building moving to the fore in sustainability."

Fisher says voluntary standards and government mandates are driving growth in green building, as awareness of environmental issues has increased in developed and developing countries.

And, he maintains,the global green building materials market continues to grow, despite the global economic downturn.
 
"The construction industry has an immense impact on the environment, so green building products are a key market within the global environmental movement," he says.

"After all, buildings are one of the heaviest consumers of natural resources and account for a significant portion of the greenhouse gas emissions that affect climate change."
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Fisher explains, "In the US, buildings account for 38% of all CO2 emissions, use 13.6% of all potable water, and consume 72% of all electrical power generation.

"Commercial and residential developers need to assess the total life cycle of all the building products and materials they utilize, as they can have a substantial, lasting effect on the environment."

Commercial office buildings will be the largest non-residential target sector for green building products over the forecast period, according to the study.

The study also found that both the new residential building and home improvement sectors present new opportunities for green building products manufacturers.
NextGen Research is the emerging technology arm of ABI Research, also based at Oyster Bay, NY. 

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