San Francisco Partner Matthew Hawk contributed a chapter to the latest edition of the Thomson Reuters/Aspatore Inside the Minds series of The Legal Impact of Climate Change, 2012 ed: Leading Lawyers on Responding to Climate Change Developments and Complying with New Regulations.
The chapter is entitled: "LEEDing The Way Into the Future: The Construction Industry's Response to Climate Change Through the Evolution of Green Building Practices." The chapter is an in depth look into the evolution of the green building movement and how the construction industry is adapting to this new emerging field. The chapter follows green building from its infancy with the creation of the United States Green Building Council and its industry standard “LEED” rating system, through the present day with the adoption of the first statutorily mandated green building codes in California, as well as a look into the future where 50% of all new construction projects are estimated to be green by the year 2015.
The chapter focuses particularly on the changes the construction industry has made in response to the green building movement, the potential risks involved with building green, and suggestions for how to proactively address those risks in order to achieve profitable and sustainable green projects. The chapter also looks at the future of green building and what those involved with the construction industry should be doing today to prepare for what is anticipated to be the next big industrial revolution.
Additionally, the chapter provides insight for developers, owners, designers, and contractors on how best to approach green projects from the outset, including what parties should bear responsibility for the various phases of construction, whose responsible for getting a project certified as green, and how the parties handle the newfound risks inherent in green building. There is also advice about how best to manage these risks, including recommended contractual language and a look into the various insurance that is available for green projects.
The book is available for purchase here.
If you would like to speak with Mr. Hawk about the book or have questions about anything contained in his chapter, please email him at mhawk@gordonrees.com.