Today, “Green” is a term used to identify buildings and construction materials made with minimal impact to our environment, emphasizing the conservation of resources, energy efficiency, and healthful interior spaces.

A major contributor to green house gases are gasoline powered vehicles. Approximately 30% of the green house emissions that humans release into the atmosphere are transportation related, and most of these transportation vehicles run on gasoline engines. (This is reported to be a leading cause for global warming.) Emissions from passenger vehicles increased despite attempts to make engines more fuel efficient, as well as the addition of antipollution devices. In the US and Canada, vehicles are getting bigger and consuming more fuel than their predecessors.

So how can the use of local suppliers for manufacturing "green" buildings or materials help in reducing greenhouse gases? If construction companies and material manufacturers purchase their goods from local suppliers, the amount of emissions from transportation is greatly reduced. Consider this; the US moved many of their business operations overseas for cheaper labor and higher carbon intensity levels, which in essence is using other economies around the world, and creating new environmental issues in those areas. This is essentially a robbing Peter to pay Paul scenario.

How else can the use of local suppliers help to reduce greenhouse gases? The “green” focus is also being followed by the government, and tax incentives are being used to drive corporate behavior. This change in corporate behavior alone will result in the reduction of greenhouse gases. Now that local suppliers are given tax relief for “going green”, using these suppliers over others around the world that do not offer "incentives" will result in rewarding those organizations that help bolster the “green” movement and our environment.