Environmental issues continue to be at the forefront of the roofing industry. These issues and regulations are having an impact on the design and application of roof systems and materials that we will be using well into the 21st century. Groups such as the U.S. Green Building Council, the Department of Energy, and the Environmental Protection Agency are forming regulations that will eventually become part of the building codes. Roofing contractors should be aware of these regulations and have an understanding of them and of the impact that they will have on the industry.
LEED was created to provide a definition of "green building" and establish a common standard of measurement for the process. The USGBC also hopes that this program will promote integrated and whole-building green design practices. This goal can be achieved by raising the consumer's awareness of benefits associated with green building practices.