British green building companies have been urged to sell their expertise in the US where the largest construction market in the world is waiting for them.

At a seminar in London organised by the Government’s UK Trade & Investment Department, delegates were told the UK is leading the world in the green buildings market, both in terms of architecture and engineering as well as building products. The US represents about 25% of world construction demand and is increasingly interested in environmental solutions, so being green has huge potential commercial rewards.

“The green buildings market is growing rapidly, especially within the US, creating a number of great opportunities for UK companies to take the lead in this field,” said UKTI chief executive Andrew Cahn. “UKTI is working with British Expertise and RIBA to help UK companies obtain access to the potential $20 billion market in the US.”

Scot Horst who started sustainable materials consultancy Horst Inc. in 1992, has worked with many public bodies and is chair of the US Green Building Council’s LEED Steering Group said environmental issues do not have borders.

“I am excited to be involved with any effort that assists in learning how to build better buildings; buildings that reflect a concern for our shared circumstances,” he said. “The opportunities for this learning in the US are great because we consume more than our share of resources. In the US we add approximately 1bn square feet of commercial construction annually.”

British Expertise chief executive Graham Hand said BE and UKTI are able to assist companies wanting to expand their potential and show how the US market can become available.

Source:
http://www.uktradeinvest.gov.uk/ukti/appmanager/ukti/splash