Introduction [Green Building in Developing Countries]

Abstract

Although green buildings are defined in different ways, there is a common belief that the building design and construction industry should be more environmentally friendly. In response to this common environmental belief, many tools, techniques, and technologies have been introduced for the implementation of green buildings. Many books have been published on this topic to clarify the definition of green building, to introduce the best practice, to brand relevant green building certifica-tions, and to inform investors and policymakers. One of early books, “Green Buildings Pay” by Edwards [6] is an example of this. The book advocated that the green building should be developed in the context of market realities. It had been updated for the third edition by Edwards and Naboni [7]. Books on green building costs written by Malaver and Muller [13] and RSMeans [14] presented economic analyses and best practices for building green. Yudelson [16, 17, 18, 19, 20]’s book series reiterated the sense of marketing strategies and tactics for green buildings in developed countries. All cases studies in the books were drawn from the UK, Europe, and the USA, aiming for better implementation of assessment schemes such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).