The Importance and Impact of the Green Building Industry

There’s no denying that the environmental movement has grown exponentially in the last decade. But, unlike other movements, sustainability isn’t something we can easily measure or notice a palpable change with. That doesn’t mean that it’s any less important, however.

So, for the inaugural episode of the podcast, Joel Pennington, podcast host and the Head of Product at VIM, brings together Arol Wolford and Charlie Cichetti, two leaders driving radical change in the built environment today.

Wolford is a distinguished entrepreneur in the construction industry as well as an honorary member of the American Institute of Architects. Cichetti, on the other hand, is the CEO and Co-founder of Sustainable Investment Group and has 15 years of experience creating green and healthy buildings totaling over 56 million square feet.

Wolford recounted his first introduction to sustainability in construction after a visit to Prince Charles in 2005, when he discovered that the construction industry was responsible for a large amount of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions and energy consumption.

“When I realized it was our industry, I got a real passion for green,” he said. “This industry has been very good to me, so I want to give back in whatever way I can.”

With 15 years in the industry under his belt, Cichetti got his start in sustainable architecture around the same time that Wolford did – and he’s already seen the impact that his work has made on the local communities.

“We’re in the middle of this environmental movement here, and it’s going to impact you and your business in some way,” Cichetti said. “Let’s make sure we do it right. Let’s make sure our building has less of an impact on the environment.”

If you enjoyed the first episode of the Breaking New Ground podcast, make sure to subscribe to VIM’s podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to get notifications when the next episodes go live.

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