About Us

The Green Standard was founded to provide accurate, constructive advice to manufacturers and purchasers who wish to elevate their environmental profile. We offer education and training on how to design flows of product performance information that improves the economic, environmental and social performance of products and services. In doing so, we contribute to a sustainable future for all.

Our name communicates our core mission: Raising the bar on performance information of products and services.  We do not develop standards nor do we certify products and services. Instead we have chosen to build on standards set by the International Organization of Standardization (ISO). Using the ISO standards on products as a framework, we create education and training on best global practices in product development, evaluation and communication.

The Green Standard focused on translating scientifically-robust data into user-friendly formats that help institutional and individual consumers make wise decisions. We collaborate with businesses, government agencies, and not-for profit groups who share our commitment to product and service information characterized by completeness, comparability and transparency.

Our Story

When The Green Standard was founded in 2000, little was known in the US about science-based evaluation of products. Since then we have focused on educating manufacturers and purchasers on best global practices in product eco-design, development and selection, based on life cycle thinking and life cycle assessment.

First we created "The EPA KnowRoom" featuring 3,000 square feet of educational resources on green product selection. A leader at the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency reported “Thousands of visitors to our campus have stopped to see the KnowRoom which has been particularly popular with and useful to those professionals involved in design and construction, providing a wealth of information.”

Second we developed "The Green Guides to NeoCon" providing purchasers with an EcoLibrary of articles on green product evaluation, a matrix describing diverse tools, and an EcoList of products certified to a standard with a resulting eco-label. Created for Stamats Business Media, this publication won the top award in the U.S. for a magazine supplement and was used to develop a Green Guide to the Greenbuild Conference.

Then we developed an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) System oriented to the needs of U.S. manufacturers, providing them with a single  resource that incorporates economic, environmental, human health, mechanical, safety and other impacts. As it meets all requirements of ISO Standard 14205, this system empowers U. S. companies to succeed in global markets and offers purchasers with a science-based means of evaluating how green a given brand product is.

Now we are co-hosting with the German Institute for Construction and the Environment the first of several forums THE NEW WAY TO DEFINE GREEN taking place in Washington, D. C. on April 28-29, 2010.  We will follow up with creation of a special website segment for participants with access 24/7 to new information from diverse sources on achieving a positive ROI on LCAs and EPDs.

Through collaborating with leaders in other stakeholder groups to promote the use of next generation resources that support local and global sustainability, The Green Standard seeks to demonstrate "The Future belongs to those who give the next generation reason to hope."(Teilhard de Chardin).