The 15,000-member Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) and BuildingGreen, Inc., have agreed to work together on the implementation of “GreenFormat,” a standard format for reporting the properties of products that have an impact on sustainable design and construction. CSI has developed and trademarked Green Format. The two groups announced the agreement in a joint statement June 20.

CSI is a national association dedicated to creating standards and formats to improve construction documents and project delivery and BuildingGreen is an independent company committed to providing accurate, unbiased, and timely information designed to help industry professionals and policy makers improve the environmental performance of buildings.

CSI is developing a database-driven Web site based around GreenFormat categories and questions to store and provide access to the format for submittal by manufacturers and use by practitioners.

“A significant aspect of the success of GreenFormat is dependent on the integrity and accuracy of the data,” CSI CEO Walter Marlowe said. “BGI, the leading environmental information source for the building industry, has agreed to provide technical support to the ongoing refinement of the GreenFormat questionnaire for products submitted to GreenFormat and to BuildingGreen’s GreenSpec Directory, and to assist CSI with the continued development of additional questions and information categories.”