How green are construction and real estate sectors?

Today I went to the Corporate Showcase and Recruiting Fair organized by the US Green Building Council NY Chapter and its branch for young professionals Emerging Green Builders. I was mostly interested in learning about the green side of companies in the energy, construction and real estate industries. What part of their operations incorporate green aspects? From my brief conversations with company representatives, this is what I managed to find out:

1. Engeneering companies such as AKF Engineers and ARUP produce sustainable engeneering designs that can save a lot of money in utility costs.

2. Design and consulting firms like Cook+Fox & Terrapin work closely with construction companies like to design green buildings, while companies like Power Concepts consult residential buildings on smart ways to decrease their utility costs by implementing energy efficient technologies.

3. My favorite at this showcase event was the Swedish construction company Skanska because it appears to be only construction firm active in US that is ISO 14001-certified (an important environmental standard). It is also a member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes, member of UN Global Compact, member of the World Economic Forum Partnering Against Corruption Initiative, the only construction company among the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations and, in 2007, was # 1 in the Top Green Contractor and the Sustainable Contractor of the year in UK. Impressive!