What is green design?
What are the benefits of green building?
What are the environmental impacts of buildings (commercial and residential)?
What is an "Article 13" report?
What is the purpose of this report?
How will the report proceed?
What is the scope of the report?
What is the opportunity for public involvement?
What is the role of the advisory group?
How was the advisory group selected?
What if there is no agreement on the issue or policy options by the advisory group?
What's the role for other experts and different voices?
What is the role of governments in this report?
Will you publish all the information and research?
When will the public symposium take place, and where?
What is the timeline for this process?
What is the Secretariat's experience with previous Article 13 reports?

What is green design?
Design and construction practices that significantly reduce or eliminate negative impacts of buildings on their occupants and the environment in five broad areas:

• Sustainable site planning
• Safeguarding water and water efficiency
• Energy efficiency and renewable energy
• Conservation of materials and resources
• Indoor environmental quality

What are the benefits of green building?
Environmental benefits
    - Reduce the impacts of natural resource consumption and waste generation

Economic benefits
    - Increase productivity and improve the bottom line

Health and safety benefits
    - Enhance occupant comfort and health

Community benefits
    - Minimize strain on local infrastructures and improve quality of life

What are the environmental impacts of buildings (commercial and residential)?

• 65.2 percent of total United States electricity consumption
• >36 percent of total United States primary energy use
• 30 percent of total United States greenhouse gas emissions
• 136 million tons of construction and demolition waste in the United States (approximately 2.8 lbs/person/day)
• 12 percent of potable water in the United States
• 40 percent (3 billion tons annually) of raw materials use globally

Source: US Green Building Council

What is an "Article 13" report?
Article 13 refers to a section of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC) that gives the CEC Secretariat authority to prepare a report on issues of environmental importance and to present it to the governments and people of Mexico, Canada, and the United States. NAAEC is considered a side agreement to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and represents the commitment of the three NAFTA countries to various cooperative endeavors intended to protect and enhance the environment of North America. You can read the full text of the NAAEC, including the text of Article 13, online.

What is the purpose of this report?
This report will examine the current status of, and future prospects for, green building in North America. It will highlight the potential for environmental benefits, examine factors behind notable successes and difficulties, and outline public and private measures for fostering the adoption of green building practices. It will also contain specific recommendations from the Secretariat to the CEC Council—the top environment officials from Canada, Mexico and the United States—on the issues raised in the report.

How will the report proceed?
The process will include:

• Selection of an advisory group;
• Peer-reviewed research studies and background papers by independent experts to develop information for the report;
• Public comment on draft studies and papers;
• Consultation with stakeholders and the public, including a symposium at which the issues are given further scrutiny;
• Submission of the Secretariat's report to Council, taking into account advice on recommendations from the advisory group; and
• Public release of the final report, unless the Council otherwise decides.

What is the scope of the report?
The Secretariat will receive advice from the advisory group on the scope of the report at the first advisory group meeting in June 2006 and will publish additional information on the scope of the report following that meeting.

What is the opportunity for public involvement?
The process is designed to be transparent and inclusive. Draft documents will be posted for public consideration on this web site as they become available. Comments from the public will also be posted. A symposium, to be held in 2007, will provide more opportunity for public and stakeholder input. And, unless the Council decides otherwise, the final report and recommendations will be made public.

What is the role of the advisory group?
Members of the advisory group will be asked to provide advice to the Secretariat on the design and development of the report. They will also submit a final statement and advice on recommendations on issues to address in the report. When drafting its final statement and advice on recommendations, the advisory group will seek to reach a consensus, although advisory group members may make individual statements and recommendations. The Secretariat will work with the chairperson of the advisory group on draft operating procedures, which will be discussed and approved at the group’s first meeting.

How was the advisory group selected?
The advisory group was selected by the Secretariat based on three principles: expertise, a balance of stakeholder representation, and country of origin. The advisory group also comprises representatives of each of our three national governments, as well as an independent, international expert. The advisory group will also include a representative of the Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC) of the CEC.

Advisory group page and bios

What if there is no agreement on the issue or policy options by the advisory group?
When providing a final statement and advice on recommendations to the Secretariat, the advisory group will seek to operate via consensus, preferably unanimous. However, if one or more members of the group dissent from the prevailing opinion, the group will try to provide the Secretariat the range of views of the group. Members of the advisory group will also be able to provide individual statements and advice on recommendations. The operating procedures adopted by the advisory group address these issues and may be found on the Resources page. Regardless of possibly different perspectives among the advisory group members, the Secretariat's final report will take into account all the evidence, information and analysis gathered during the period of study and the preparation of the report.

What's the role for other experts and different voices?
The Article 13 process allows the Secretariat to draw upon any relevant technical, scientific, or other information necessary to complete our report—from any source—including independent experts, NGOs, the Joint Public Advisory Committee of the CEC. Experts outside the advisory group selected by the Secretariat for their scientific and technical expertise will help prepare various background papers and conduct research studies. In turn, such papers will be peer-reviewed, including a call for public comments and scrutiny during a public symposium. While specific topics have yet to be determined, this approach will greatly extend the expertise available to assist the Secretariat in the completion of this report.

What is the role of governments in this report?
Under the terms of Article 13, the Secretariat’s authority over production of the report is independent of the Council and our three national governments. In preparing the report, the Secretariat of the CEC will seek input from competent national and international organizations, the private sector, various nongovernmental organizations and individuals, the Joint Public Advisory Committee of the CEC, and other interested members of civil society. A representative of each of our three national governments has been appointed to the advisory group, and while we will seek input from the governments of Mexico, Canada, and the United States, the report itself remains a product of the Secretariat. As with the previous Article 13 reports, each government will also be invited to comment on the report.

Will you publish all the information and research?
Yes. Discussion papers, any research completed or compiled to assist us in completing the report, together with comments on draft documents circulated for public consideration, will be posted on this web site.

When will the public symposium take place, and where?
This symposium will take place in 2007. A precise date and location have yet to be determined. Information regarding the symposium will be posted on this site when it becomes available.

What is the timeline for this process?
We began this initiative in February 2006. We expect the final report will be presented to the CEC Council in the fall of 2007.

What is the Secretariat's experience with previous Article 13 reports?
There have been five previous reports completed under Article 13 of the NAAEC. You can view each report and related materials at on our Other Initiatives page.