Green Building Materials in the US US green building materials market to expand 6% per annum through 2013 The US market for “green” building materials -- those products that contribute to LEED certification by the US Green Building Council -- generated $58 billion of product demand in 2008. This market is forecast to expand six percent annually to nearly $80 billion in 2013, outpacing the growth of building construction expenditures over that period. Through 2013, the fastest gains will come from the residential market as it rises from its depressed 2008 level. FSC-certified wood panels, lumber to grow the fastest Interior products -- carpets and flooring, insulation, paint and gypsum board -- are projected to account for the largest share of green building materials demand generated between 2008 and 2013. Most of this growth will come from carpets and flooring, the largest single product segment. Interior products are especially dependant on the residential market, and will benefit from its recovery. Over the forecast period, lumber and wood panels are forecast to be the fastest growing green product segments, albeit from a small base. The LEED rating systems provide credits to encourage the use of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified products, which are certified to assure forestry practices are environmentally responsible and socially beneficial. Demand for FSC-certified wood panels is projected to more than triple between 2008 and 2013, growing more than three times as fast as the overall market for wood panels. Key residential construction market to grow rapidly Residential construction accounts for the majority of green building material demand. Not only is the overall residential market larger than its nonresidential counterpart, but the intensity of demand for green building materials is also greater. Even in 2008, when (in inflation adjusted terms) residential construction expenditures fell to a 15 year low and nonresidential building construction spending reached its highest level ever, the residential building market remained the dominant market for green building materials. Going forward, demand in the residential market is expected to continue growing rapidly through 2013.
