A growing and significant force in the construction industry is going to impact product manufacturers, including stone quarriers and suppliers, and compel them to learn, adapt and teach in order to survive and thrive. That force - referred to in terms such as “green building,” “sustainable building” or “environmentally friendly building” - will create a considerable level of pressure on stone industry organizations as they try to understand and adjust to its environmentally responsible concepts and construction techniques.

Can natural stone be considered a green product? A hasty “yes” answer without substantiated facts and figures could generate antagonism from people outside the natural stone industry. A casual “no” answer might hinder the advancement and promotion of natural stone in the fast-growing sustainable building industry. Although natural stone has been used as a traditional building material for a long time, a lot remains to be learned about its impact on the environment and how it supports sustainable building methods and principles.