Cleaner environments for living, working, and learning are good for people and the planet, and World Green Building Week 2014 will promote such environments with a series of global events. “We recognize that by working together in the same week all over the world, our message is louder, demonstrates global diversity, and creates excitement as people feel part of our growing global community,” says Jane Henley, executive director of the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC), which will mobilize connected groups in dozens of countries for the week.
Jane Henley is the executive director of the WorldGBC.
Throughout the week of September 22–26, more than 100 Green Building Councils, or GBCs, will hold hundreds of events educating their communities about greener environments—just as they did in 2013, when 34 countries held more than 220 events under the theme “Greener Buildings, Better Places, Healthier People.” In Long Beach, California, parents learned how to pack trash-free school lunches with reusable items. In Budapest, Hungary, individuals took part in guided walking tours of sustainable buildings. In Paris, kids visited a contemporary zoo that’s meeting environmental concerns while remaining a strong cultural attraction. “It’s not just one event but hundreds, from site tours to workshops, conferences to competitions,” Henley says.
The 2014 week will culminate on Saturday, September 27, with the Green Apple Day of Service, which gives communities the opportunity to transform schools into healthy, safe, and productive learning environments through local service projects. “We know that the classroom environment can affect a child’s academic progress, sometimes by as much as 25 percent,” Henley says. “Currently, millions of students attend schools in buildings that are too cold in winter, too hot in summer, and badly lit and poorly ventilated. We believe every child deserves the opportunity to attend a school that is healthy and enhances learning. Our message is that where students learn is just as important as what they learn and who teaches them.”
Details
Who: World Green Building Council
What: World Green Building Week, Green Apple Day of Service
When: Sept. 22–26, 2014
Where: Around the world
Web: worldgbc.org/activities/wgbweek/
