(LEED Student Center) Image Courtesy of ipainc.com

It has become apparent to millennials and young people across the world that they can no longer trust their leaders to reverse climate change, reduce environmental pollution, and regulate polluters. This is not hyperbole and it’s not propaganda…Climate Change and it’s harmful effects are now a broad, unquestionable, scientific consensus. And many feel very little is being done about it.

With this in mind, many young people have the presence of mind to see opinions from the skeptics… ‘Green’ Legislation is tricky, industry regulation is cumbersome, and red tape is demoralizing…all while costing taxpayers more money. But the correct response remains… so what? Life’s most rewarding achievements are challenging and resource intensive, does that make them not worth doing?

Future generations are looking for other ways to make a difference and to start ‘Green’ movements. Tech-savvy and environmentally conscious individuals realize they no longer need to rely on centralized authorities to make a difference. Such an independent thought process has begun to pair well with the ‘Decentralization Movement’ powered by Blockchain Technology.

This mindset has evolved into the creation of digital currencies that inspire social movements which have already begun to improve the planet by way of their ‘Green’ tech campaigns. Such projects are:

SolarCoin — A Cryptocurrency reward representing proof of 1 MWh hour of solar power generation.

Carbon Coin — An energy efficient digital currency that reduces environmental carbon emissions.

EcoCoin — A cryptocurrency that is backed by living trees.

Evergreen Coin — A cryptocurrency that helps raise funds for environmental or ‘green’ projects.

While the above coins focus primarily around the environment only, a new coin has been brewing whose mission is to influence environmentally friendly construction design and building. And garnering the attention of a $750+ billion dollar yearly industry (U.S.) is a very wise goal both for a digital currency project and for the cryptocurrency movement in general.

Introducing the BuildGreen Project

The BuildGreen Project was started by three young entrepreneurs with a passion for environmental sustainability, technology, and digital currency. Information on their mission can be found here www.buildgreencoin.org Since inception their goal has been to promote green construction initiatives, conservation, and sustainability.

BuildGreen Coin is the vehicle behind their mission, a digital currency reward for verified green construction and material innovators on a given construction project. They are developing a desktop and mobile wallet on which rewards will be directly distributed to awardees. The wallets can also be used to send and receive BuildGreen Coins from others.

As a basis for coin awards, the BuildGreen project has harnessed the power of the worlds most prominent ‘Green’ building rating system, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. LEED has created a globally acclaimed and battle tested set of standards for green construction and has been around for over 20 years. The rating system has been updated and refined in such a way that it’s success has lead to worldwide adoption and implementation on over 80,000 commercial construction projects worldwide.

For a construction project to receive coin awards, it must achieve Silver, Gold, or Platinum LEED certification. The design, construction, and maintenance of the building must achieve a certain number of credits for: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy & atmosphere, material & resources, indoor air quality, innovation, and regional priority.

BuildGreen Coins are awarded based on the amount of points achieved on a building and multiplied by a project value factor which scales the awards to small and large projects.

For example a $10,000,000 project with Platinum LEED certification will be rewarded with 40,000 BuildGreen Coins.

What makes BuildGreen Coin unique?

First and foremost, there are currently no digital coins based around the construction industry. Secondly, there is very little direct financial incentive to ‘build green’ as many argue it is more costly up front. Proponents argue building ‘green’ pays for itself over time but BuildGreen Coins offer a financial award to building owners immediately, which could grow considerably over time.

The BuildGreen Project estimates that each BuildGreen coin diverts 1,608 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, diverts 116 pounds of construction waste from landfills, and reduces 1,210 gallons of grey water from having to be processed in a wastewater treatment facility.

Lastly, the founders believe the coin will help advance the inevitable paradigm shift of introducing digital currencies into a massive economical sector, the construction industry. Like many industries, construction is full of tech-resistant professionals who otherwise would hardly be able to tell the difference between a bitcoin and a commodore computer.

Why do the founders hope the coin value will increase over time?

Similar to SolarCoin, BuildGreen Coin derives it’s inherent value from proof of environmental action in the form of sustainable construction techniques… it is backed by natural capital. The founders also intend for the coin to be used as the first currency to transact between Architects, Engineers, Materials Suppliers, Subcontractors, and Project Owners.

Also, the BuildGreen Project boasts a pre and post award media campaign which will highlight each construction project, the BuildGreen coin, and their environmental mission. This could be a big deal considering there have been some very high profile LEED construction projects recently: Mercedes Stadium Atlanta, American Airlines Stadium Miami, Excel Energy Center Minnesota, etc.

Why do the founders think BuildGreen Coin will be successful long term?

As coin value increases with the rest of the digital currency market cap, early adopting green builders could find themselves a whole new investment asset that came with their new green building. And great success from the coin award project could mean a green building whose cost is subsidized considerably.

Summary

To summarize, the BuildGreen Project and coin have tapped into a brand new niche. They have a unique idea that could reward investors and those involved in ‘Green Construction’. Secondly, BuildGreen coin will introduce a massive sector to cryptocurrency. And lastly and perhaps most importantly, their digital currency will help improve the environment significantly without the help of a single politician or world leader.

Whitelist available at buildgreencoin.org