A sustainable building, or green building is an outcome of a design which focuses on increasing the efficiency of resource use - energy, water, and materials - while reducing building impacts on human health and the environment during the building's lifecycle, through better sitting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal.

Green buildings are designed to reduce the overall impact of the built environment on human health and the natural environment by:

• Efficiently using energy, water, and other resources
• Protecting occupant health and improving employee productivity
• Reducing waste, pollution and environmental degradation