The importance of the building sector as a key player in the path of innovation associated with sustainable transition has been gaining preponderance at different levels of society. This radical change has been increasingly driven by governmental and non-governmental pressures, encouraging changes not only at the organizational level, but also at the macroeconomic level. Based on this premise, the present work aimed to study the influence of the use of green building certificates (GBC), not only in the innovation process, but also on what it promotes in collaborative processes in building projects. A multiple case study was used, and a comparison was made with academic references. It confirmed the importance of the role of the green project champion who, through the leadership process, has a direct influence on the development of the project in its different phases.
TopSustainable Development
According to the Commission Brundtland (1987, pp.15), the concept of sustainable development is defined as the “...development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.
The concept has been widely used, not only academically, but also politically and corporately (Redclift, 2005). Many definitions have emerged over the years from the original definition (Emas, 2015). When analysing the definition, it becomes clear that the idea of preserving resources for future generations is the fundamental feature that differentiates sustainable development policies from traditional environmental policies.
We can define the general objective of the sustainable development as long-term stability, not only of the environment, but also of the economy. For this to happen, it is necessary to identify and consider the different economic, environmental and social concerns, also defined as the Triple Bottom Line (Emas, 2015). In organizational context we can consider the concept of sustainable development as the continuous efforts made by organizations to balance environmental and social concerns with their economic goals, to minimize damage and increase environmental and societal benefits (Dyllick & Hockerts, 2002).
The building sector and the environment are intrinsically linked for the most diverse reasons, highlighting the use of natural resources, pollution or modification of ecosystems. In this way, the sector has a leading role when concerns about environmental impact and respective mitigation measures are pointed out (Ding, 2005). The transition to more sustainable practices is driven by increasing pressure caused by legal commitments, as well as the growing public concern with the building impact on the environment (Robichaud & Anantatmula, 2011).