{"id":11362,"date":"2022-02-02T13:37:48","date_gmt":"2022-02-02T17:37:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.traductionsnp.com\/?p=11362"},"modified":"2026-02-26T10:47:55","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T14:47:55","slug":"green-building-through-translation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordstyle.ca\/fr\/green-building-through-translation\/","title":{"rendered":"Promoting Sustainable Building Through Translation"},"content":{"rendered":"

*This article originally appeared in the <\/em>January 2022 edition of<\/em> Le Circuit<\/a>, the quarterly online publication of the Ordre des traducteurs, terminologues et interpr\u00e8tes agr\u00e9\u00e9s du Qu\u00e9bec<\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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In 2020, the Canada Green Building Council reported that Canada\u2019s green building sector could contribute 1.5 million jobs and $150 billion in Gross Domestic Product by 2030, in addition to helping Canada meet its climate change targets. The growing number of buildings that are certified \u201cgreen\u201d in their design, construction or operation, is therefore proving to be a significant contributor in reducing the overall impact of the built environment on human health and the natural environment. Along with sector growth, however, comes an ever-increasing number of certification programs to address developments in the green building industry. For translators, knowing the terminology used in each certification program becomes critical in helping end-clients achieve environmental certification for their buildings or construction products.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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A brief history of green building in North America<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

While green building is a relatively new field, it is not a new concept. Some green building practices date back thousands of years, such as using local and renewable materials or passive solar design. As a case in point, the Ancestral Puebloans were an ancient Native American culture that inhabited the southwestern region of the United States and built entire villages so that all the homes retained solar heat in the winter. Similarly, the Aztecs of Mexico used adobe bricks to build energy-efficient homes that offered naturally cool spaces on hot days due to the walls\u2019 greater thermal mass. The green building movement as we know it today, however, began to take shape in the 1970s as a result of the OPEC oil embargo in 1973, leading to growing concerns about the Western world\u2019s reliance on fossil fuels.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Green building certifications and rating systems<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Currently, the most well-known green building certification in North America is the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. Established in 1994 by the U.S. Natural Resources Defense Council and run by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), by 2015, LEED had grown from one standard for new constructions to a comprehensive system of interrelated standards covering everything from building design and construction to maintenance and operations. In 2003, the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) became the Canadian license holder for the LEED green building rating system.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Over the years, numerous other programs and certifications have been established in North America which translators and terminologists can refer to in order to inform their practice, including:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n