Amidst California’s recent and increasing wildfires, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) California and Building Ease have launched a solution to connect builders, communities, and homeowners with sustainable, fire resilient building materials.
The novel Marketplace is a solution for the urgent need for climate-adaptive, low-carbon rebuilding materials in wildfire impacted areas. The platform also supports the recently released California Wildfire Rebuilding Guide, produced by USGBC California in partnership with Arup.
“Our hope is for home builders to be able to leverage this platform to increase affordability, awareness, and access to healthier and more sustainable products and materials,” says Ben Stapleton, executive director, USGBC California. “By grouping buyers by product or region, they can achieve a scale in purchasing previously only available to larger general contractors or developers.”
Designed with environmental performance, community resilience, and consumer cost reduction in mind, the Marketplace is a group purchasing and procurement platform powered by BuildingEase that is starting in California and expanding to serve anyone committed to sustainable, resilient construction.
“California is on the front lines of the climate crisis, and many of us in the L.A. area have been deeply impacted by this tragedy and are engaged in how we rebuild while improving the future of our communities,” adds Stapleton. “Rebuilding after a wildfire shouldn’t mean compromising on sustainability or resilience. This partnership with BuildingEase is about empowering communities to build back smarter and greener—with speed, confidence, and impact while reducing cost.”
BuildingEase, a digital platform focused on accelerating sustainable construction, brings its advanced product vetting tools, supplier database, and streamlined procurement capabilities to the initiative. By integrating USGBC California’s green building expertise with BuildingEase’s technology, the marketplace ensures that materials meet rigorous performance criteria and align with green certification programs like LEED and CALGreen.
“Our mission at BuildingEase is to remove the friction from building sustainably,” says Barbra BatShalom, CEO of BuildingEase. “We’re proud to work with USGBC California to deliver a tool that not only simplifies post-wildfire rebuilding but also raises the bar for what’s possible in sustainable construction.”
The Rebuild Marketplace will pilot in several wildfire-affected communities this summer, with plans for broader rollout by the end of the year.
