September 22, 2011

Canada Green Building Council president joins new aggregate group

KELLY LAPOINTE

staff writer

Thomas Mueller, President and CEO of Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) is joining the founding board for Socially and Environmentally Responsible Aggregate (SERA).

A relatively new player on the scene, SERA is a not-for-profit organization that offers the building industry an opportunity to identify and purchase construction materials that meet international best practices.

Mueller said he thinks SERA is a very important, leading-edge initiative in the cement industry and it’s an honour to be chosen to sit on the board.

“There are very few industries right now in Canada that actually do environmentally responsible sourcing and so to be pursing that now I think is pretty significant.”

The founding board includes Chair Michael Fenn, Vice-Chair Maia Becker from the Forest Stewardship Council, Treasurer Peter Kendall of the Schad Foundation and Secretary Eric Stevenson of Environmental Defence.

The board developed an initial plan that includes field-testing and revision of the draft standards by a technical advisory group representing industry, environmental, municipal, community and Aboriginal interests.

“Having Thomas Mueller on our founding board is a big step forward for SERA,” said Fenn.

“Few people are more familiar with the market-based impacts of certification systems based on high standards of practice than Mr. Mueller. The SERA Founding Board is very pleased to have him recognize and participate in the important work we are undertaking.”

CaGBC is the leading national industry organization for advancing green building practices for livable communities.

While aggregates are important to the way people live, aggregate quarrying and transport are creating concerns on environmental, wildlife and hydro-geological impact, among others. In some instances, there is a legacy of abandoned quarries.

Mueller said aggregate extraction is a growing environmental issue and that similar types of certification have gone a long way in improving practices of other resource sectors like forestry and fisheries.

“I think it’s really important for people to understand that it has an environmental impact and there are organizations like SERA, players in the cement industry and other players in the building industry that support practices that are more environmentally sound,” said Mueller.

Mueller said he would like to see other players in the cement industry get involved with SERA.

“SERA is a draft standard right now that they continue to refine the standard so it achieves a good balance between meeting industry needs, but also protecting ecosystems and the environment and also creating jobs.”

The draft standard, released on June 1, 2011 is intended to be a starting point for discussion with key stakeholders. It will be revised and finalized in 2013, following broad field-testing and consultation with stakeholders.

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