By Charley Stevenson
The Case for Incremental Wins
Attending Greenbuild 2024 left me with excitement and pragmatic optimism for the healthier materials movement. It was invigorating to stand among architects, consultants, engineers, manufacturers, and other industry leaders discussing a sustainable and equitable future through better—not perfect—materials choices now. In today’s market, perfect simply doesn’t exist, but better often does.
One of the most refreshing themes was the focus on making incremental, collective progress. As ZGF’s Lona Rerick noted during our session on the AIA Materials Pledge, to make progress, we have to start somewhere—even if that’s just by tracking a few product types, reporting honestly (even when the results aren’t perfect), and learning as we go.
Following a similar line of thought, Futurist Ari Wallach called on us to shift away from thinking about sustainability in terms of sacrifices. Instead, sustainability can bring us to a better tomorrow—or a “protopia,” the term he coined—that evolves through steady, thoughtful action. Imagine not just what we’re avoiding, but also what we’re building: healthier environments; more resilient, inclusive communities; and a higher quality of life for everyone.
Embracing the Challenge
We need to recognize that lasting change is up to us. We can’t wait for legislative alignment or market perfection. We need to find the balance between commerce and productive, sustainable action and begin there. After all, we are the experts. We should be crafting the message, honing our skills and experiences, and working to bring about the changes we discuss at conferences and forums. When we accept that progress is in our hands—starting by making better materials choices, right now—we will create more opportunities for incremental change.
The collective mindset at events like Greenbuild is what makes them so powerful, with presenters and attendees from corporate, governmental, and not-for-profit organizations engaging in conversation and collaboration. Each of us has a role to play, whether we’re designing, specifying, constructing, or operating a building. We move forward as we share knowledge and align our efforts. No one is going to win sustainability; we are all in this together.
At Materially Better, we embrace this collaborative spirit. Our “Make Better Choices” program combines expert insights, actionable product data, and purpose-built tools like the Red2Green platform to help teams take the next right step in their materials journey. From setting clear product goals to measuring and reporting progress, we believe every project can be a stepping stone toward the healthier, sustainable future we all envision.
What Comes Next
The materials movement is a long game with our future shaped by the choices we make today. Let’s focus on building momentum through pragmatic optimism. Let’s embrace what’s possible today while keeping our sights on the future with continued manufacturer advocacy focused on our need and desire for healthier product selection across all product types. A better built environment—and a better world—start with the choices we make and the actions we take now, together.
The energy at Greenbuild was palpable, and so was the consensus: progress doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to start. Let’s continue this conversation. Reach out and let’s discuss how we can work together to make better choices on your next project.
Charley Stevenson, LFA, LEED AP, Principal. With the Materially Better team, Charley has developed processes and software to integrate better materials selections into all project types and to transform the market as quickly and easily as possible.
