To build upon Joe’s “known unknowns” and “unknown unknowns” from last week, one “known known” is that third-party verification and certification matters:

My colleague Fleming Roberts’ blog post, “Trust but verify: Why LEED certification matters,” answers the age-old question, “why certify?” We all know that you can’t manage what you don’t measure. Sustainable design intent is wonderful, but that’s not the same as achievement. The next step, of course, is building performance. That’s where the LEED Dynamic Plaque and recertification come in. There’s no question that the future is now when it comes to building performance measurement and verification.

Another “known known” is that sustainable buildings do not need to cost more than conventional design and construction.

Deliberate and informed integrative design is the key to keeping costs down. Though, green buildings writ-large should not be deemed too costly due to occasional design decisions to include to include superfluous “green bling.” I love this article taking a look at buildings in Singapore and Malaysia, as Surbana International Consultants Busts the Myth of Costly Green Buildings.

Sweden Green Building Council forms a strategic business partnership with USGBC. This agreement advances Sweden GBC’s position as the face and voice of LEED in Sweden. Strategic partnerships, such as this one, are an integral part of LEED’s global relevance and applicability.

Linking Energy Efficiency and Clean Air: ACEEE released a new tool to facilitate the inclusion of Energy Efficiency in State Implementation Plans. This practical resource is obviously aimed at a select audience; however, I think it’s an interesting read nonetheless.

Finally, my favorite announcement of the week!

Around the World in 80 Market Briefs: Check out the new Green Building City Market Briefs now available in the Resource Library. This resource is a project of the World Green Building Council’s Sustainable Cities Initiative, in partnership with C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and other local government networks. The aim is to provide a snapshot of the green building industry and policies in each city. The Green Building City Market Briefs will be rolled out throughout 2014, so be sure to check the Resource Library frequently.