Most people in the real estate industry are now familiar withthe US Green Building Council and its LEED standards forsustainable building construction. A newer organization is now onthe scene with similar, yet broader, goals. A group of businessleaders and academics has founded the Responsible PropertyInvestment Center. The group attempts to help investors "find andcreate value through improving the economic, social, andenvironmental profile of their investments." Edward Lipkin, amember of RPIC's steering committee and chief executive officer ofPhiladelphia-based EBS&L Development, spoke about hisorganization's goals recently here at the International Council ofShopping Centers' Conference on Mixed-Use Development. He laterspoke with GSR about his group and industry sustainabilitytrends.

GlobeSt.com: Is there any one particular push insociety right now driving the existence of groups likeRPIC?

Lipkin: To a degree, we have to take our hats offto the US Green Building Council. They truly raised America'sawareness of energy consumption. Man is the only animal on earththat creates a terrarium around him. Every other creature on earthlives on the earth. About 30% or 35% of all of the energy beingconsumed is in the buildings that man lives in. There is anotherlarge percentage that goes to cars. Between the buildings and thecars you have a huge amount of energy consumption.