by Anya Meekins

Attendees of the 2008 Greenbuild International Conference and Expo had good reason to be excited. Since the conference's debut in 2002 in Austin, Texas, when just over 4,000 people gathered to discuss the importance of sustainable design, Greenbuild has expanded dramatically.

This year, 30,000 people from over 80 different countries and all 50 states registered for the conference, according to Rick Fedrizzi, the president, CEO, and founding chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), which sponsors the annual event.

Green Leadership

The selection of Boston as the location for Greenbuild was significant: the city has implemented a variety of sustainable initiatives.

Boston made headlines in 2006 when it became the first major city in the United States to mandate that all large-scale privately developed real estate comply with the USGBC Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification standard. In January 2007, Boston zoning laws were rewritten to incorporate green building standards.

Mayor Tom Menino has lead this "greening" of Boston. Over 10,000 people assembled for the opening plenary session to hear Menino, Fedrizzi, and keynote speaker Archbishop Desmond Tutu.   >>>

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SUBSCRIPTION SAMPLE Archbishop Desmond Tutu delivered the keynote address at Greenbuild 2008. Photo: Atlantic Photo Service/ Courtesy USGBC Extra Large Image Over 28,000 people attended Greenbuild in Boston. Photo: Atlantic Photo Service/ Courtesy USGBC Extra Large Image   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.