The sustainable business community in Massachusetts

The Green Roundtable (GRT) is an independent non-profit organization whose mission is to mainstream green building and sustainable development using the tools of education, policy and technical assistance. Ultimately GRT's goal is to become obsolete - when all infrastructure, buildings and communities are designed, constructed and managed sustainably. To achieve market transformation, GRT works strategically with stakeholders to provide education and build capacity, empower by providing technical assistance and create requirements through comprehensive policies. GRT also holds a unique role as the Massachusetts Affiliate of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). You may have heard of USGBC as they are a 501(c)(3) non profit composed of leaders from every sector of the building industry working to promote buildings and communities that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. USGBC also developed the industry established LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). In Massachusetts, The Green Roundtable is one of six independent organizations designated as Affiliates of the US Green Building Council; as such, Affiliates are separate entities from USGBC that work towards synergistic goals through a memorandum of understanding. For that purpose, GRT executes the duties of a USGBC Chapter in Massachusetts, including organizing LEED trainings, promoting USGBC and LEED, and recruiting active members. In 2007 the role of the USGBC community in Massachusetts expanded through the establishment of the USGBC Massachusetts Membership Forum, a group with active leadership and committees organized around advancing USGBC activities and the green building community here in Massachusetts. The Forum is the organizational entity as well as the mechanism for the Massachusetts green building membership and community at large to lead, engage and participate in green building activities locally, regionally and at the national USGBC level. The Forum has among its goals, to build membership and to facilitate communications and cooperation among green professionals state-wide, from the cape and islands to Springfield and North Adams. The Forum also strives to advance the green building community in Massachusetts, keep the community energized and up to date on new technology, policy, as well as USGBC news and projects. One of the most active committees of The Forum is the Boston Emerging Green Builders (EGB) which works to provide students and young professional's affordable and accessible resources for integration into the growing green building industry as active and qualified employees and professionals. The Forum leadership and committee members will work with the Green Roundtable and other community partners to continue to grow and organize the volunteer activities and in everything they do, work to advance the green building market and community in Massachusetts. For more information visit http://greenroundtable.org/programs/usgbc_affiliate.html.