Robert K. Watson
Robert K. (Rob) Watson (born July 31, 1961 in Chicago, Illinois) is one of the pioneers of the modern Green Building Movement and the Founding Chairman of the LEED Green Building Rating System of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). He is the CEO and Chief Scientist of The Ecotech International Group (ETI) and its subsidiaries American SinoTech and American IndoTech, which he founded in 2007 to meet the demand for green building technologies and services in China, India and the United States.
Mr. Watson has worked for twentyfive years on five continents on green building policy, integrated design, alternative energy and clean building technology issues. Mr. Watson is the only foreigner to have been honored by China's Ministry Of Construction (MOC) with its first "Green Innovation" awards in Beijing in 2005. In 2002, he was named as the first recipient of the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership Award For Lifetime Achievemnt for his work as the "Father of LEED."
Life and Work
While an undergraduate at Dartmouth College studying Energy and Environmental Policy, Rob spent several months living in a tent at an altitude of 8,000 feet helping Amory Lovins and Hunter Lovins build Rocky Mountain Institute.
As a Senior Scientist and Director of the International Energy [www.chinacleanenergy.org] and Green Building [www.nrdc.org/buildinggreen] programs at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) from 1985 to 2006, Mr. Watson was active in international sustainable building, utility and transportation issues in a dozen countries including China, the United States and Russia.
Since 1997, Mr. Watson has worked with China's Ministry of Construction (MOC) to develop green building standards and energy codes for commercial and residential buildings. He also was the principal coordinator for a key green building demonstration project in Beijing (www.accord21.org) for the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). This building was the first to receive LEED Gold Certification in China. Watson’s work on this building and green technology in general was featured in a 2005 article by New York Times columnist, Thomas Friedman, as well as in Fortune Magazine.
In other international work, Mr. Watson helped develop improved residential building codes for Russia and Moscow and managed a joint USEPA/USAID project to promote utility Integrated Resource Planning in the North Caucasus region of Russia. He has also worked on sustainable energy and green development issues in buildings, electric utilities and transportation in Belarus, Bolivia, Chile, Cuba, Mexico, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Ukraine.
Mr. Watson worked with several international financial institutions, including the World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, as well as several U.S. government agencies (USAID, DOE, Treasury, EPA, NSC, Office of Environmental Policy), to promote sustainable energy policies and programs in the developing world. Mr. Watson played an important role in developing the “Partnership for Sustainable Energy Use” for the hemisphere-wide Summit of the Americas in 1996.
Watson took primary responsibility for the green features in NRDC’s showcase green offices in Washington, DC, New York, and the LEED Platinum Robert Redford Building in Los Angeles -- until recently the recipient of the most LEED points of any project in the world, and consulted on the San Francisco office, which achieved LEED Gold Certification. Mr. Watson created the first documented, quantifiable “Green Office” in the U.S. for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in 1987.
Mr. Watson was a member of the Executive Committee for the President’s Council on Sustainable Development 1999 National Town Meeting and was the Operations Group leader for the 1993 Greening of the White House initiative spearheaded by President Clinton.
Appointments
2006-2008--advises China Ministry of Construction (MOST) and U.S. department of Energy (DOE) on the development of green construction standards and demonstration projects for the 2008 Olympics.
2005--Tsinghua University, International Academic Committee of Building Energy Research
2005 -- Shenzhen Institute of Building Research, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Building Energy Efficiency
2005--Shenyang Jianzhu (Architectural) University appointment as a visiting professor.
2005-2006--Shenyang Association for Science and Technology, Special Expert for 2005-2006.
2005--International Green Building Expert to professional associations in Chongqing, Shanghai, Shenyang, and Shenzhen municipalities, helping these four cities to develop programs to promote green buildings and “smart growth” development.
2005 -- First Representatives Conference, Chongqing Association of Energy Efficiency in Buildings
Awards
2005—China’s Ministry of Construction (MOC) First “Green Innovation” Award--the only foreigner so honored--for Mr. watson's work on green buildings in China.
2005—Golden Key to the City of Shanghai, China
2005— For his work on LEED and green buildings in China, the Association of Energy Engineers gave Mr. Watson its International Energy Development Professional Award
2004—Interiors & Sources Magazine, Top 25 "Environmental Champions" in the building industry.
2004—Association of Energy Engineers-New York Chapter, Annual Award for international Energy Professional Development Award for work on LEED and green buildings in China.
2003—Engineering News Record, "Top 25 Newsmakers" in the construction industry.
2002—The First recipient of the U.S. Green Building Council's "Leadership Award For Lifetime Achievement" for his work as the "Father of LEED."
Education
Mr. watson received a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Columbia University, has a Master of Science (MS) degree from the University of California, Berkeley Energy Resources Group (ERG) and is a graduate of Dartmouth College where he was a Senior Fellow. In 1993, Watson was the First Environmental Fellow at the Institute of Transportation Studies at University of California, Davis.
Mr. Watson speaks Spanish, Russian and French. He was a member of the Dartmouth Varsity Lightweight Crew: British Henley 1984; Silver – National Collegiate Championship, 1984; Gold – Canadian Henley 1983. He has a Black Belt in Kuk Sool Won (Instructor), and a black belt in Jow Hop Kuen Kung Fu. Rob became an Eagle Scout in 1976.
Organizations/Committees
U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the national non-profit organization that manages the LEED standard, Director since 2005 as well as from 1995 to 2000, and served as its Vice Chair from 1999-2000.
US Green Building Council, Chairman of the LEED™ Steering Committee, 1994-2000, Vice Chairman and Environmental Affairs Officer, Member of the Board, 1994-2001; 2005-present, LEED Core & Shell Committee, member, 2002-2004
Ministry of Construction, PRC China, Compiling Group, Public Building Energy Saving Standard, 2003 – Present, Compiling Group, Hot Summer, Warm Winter Zone Residential Energy Standard, 2003-2004, Compiling Group, Hot Summer, Cold Winter Zone Residential Energy Standard, 2001-2004
Beijing Development and Reform Commission, Building Energy and Environment Center, International Expert, 2006-Presen
Shanghai Green Building Council, International Expert 2003-Present
Chongqing Energy Efficient Building Promotion Council, International Expert 2004-Present
National Coalition of Green Homebuilding Programs, Chair, Advocacy Committee 2003 -present
American-Chinese Committee Organized for Restorative Development in the 21st Century (ACCORD21), Chairman & President
International Design Center for the Environment (IDCE), Chairman, 2005-2006, Member of the Board, 2000-2004
Global Environmental Options (GEO), Member of the Board, Secretary, 1994-2000
Inter-American Development Bank, Sustainable Markets for Sustainable Energy Advisory Group, 1997-1998
President’s Council for Sustainable Development, Steering Committee Member, National Town Meeting for a Sustainable America, 1998-99
Green Building Challenge’98, US Steering Committee member, 1997
US Environmental Technology Challenge, 1995-96
AIA/Office of Environmental Policy of the White House, Team Coordinator, "Greening of the White House" project, 1993
American Institute of Architects, Scientific Advisory Group on the Environment, 1990-93.
Southern California Association of Governments, Regional Mobility Element Strategic Working Group, TCM Working Group, Modeling Task Force, Conformity Working Group, TDM Sub-Group, Land-use Sub-Group, 1992-93, State of California, Statewide Conformity Working Group, 1993
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Professional Advisory Group, 1992.
Southern California Gas Co., Residential and Commercial Programs Advisory Group, 1992
Seattle City Light, Lighting Design Lab Steering Committee, 1985-90
California Energy Commission, Residential Standards Implementation Advisory Group, 1986-88
Articles
Mr. Watson has visited China over 60 times and made over 100 keynotes or featured presentations on Green Buildings and Smart Growth in China and the U.S. and has been quoted in numerous articles.
China to Invest Billions in Infrastructure by Benjamin Robertson, Voice of America News - November 25, 2006.
Bring in the Green Cat by Thomas L. Friedman, Op-Ed Columnist for The New York Times. November 15, 2006.
Go West, Old Men by Thomas L. Friedman, Op-Ed Columnist for The New York Times. April 26, 2006.
A 'Green' Building Rises Amid Beijing Smog by Robert Marquand, Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor. April 03, 2006.
China Faces Uphill Energy-Saving Drive by Emma Graham-Harrison, RedOrbit (source: Reuters). March 10, 2006.
LEED Is Not Perfect, But It's Not Broken by Rob Watson, Environmental Design + Construction - December 2005.
China's Little Green Book by Thomas L. Friedman, Op-Ed Columnist for The New York Times. November 2, 2005.
Green Dreams in Shangri-La by Thomas L. Friedman, Op-Ed Columnist for The New York Times. October 28, 2005.
Asia Sees Sense In Going Green by David Fogarty, Reuters. September 9, 2005.
Greener and Higher by Alex Frangos, Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal. January 31, 2005.
Green Sun Over China by Jonathan Keehner, InstitutionalInvestor.com.
Energy-Efficient Building Saves 70 Percent of Yearly Consumption, CRIEnglish.com
Presentations
University of North Carolina, "Greening the 2008 Olympics", Chapel Hill, February 2004
Building and Industrial Furniture Manufacturers 2004 Management Conference, "Sustainability and Opportunities for the Furniture Industry", Palm Springs, February 2004
Ministry of Construction, Sino-US Green Building Workshop, "The LEED Green Building Rating System" Beijing, December 2003
Shanghai Construction Commission, Eco-Building Seminar, "Transforming the New Construction Market in Shanghai" Shanghai, December 2003
USGBC Member Day, "Status of the LEED Green Building Rating System" Pittsburgh, November 2003
Greenbuild 2003, "LEED Update" Pittsburgh, November 2003
Ministry of Science & Technology, U.S. Department of Energy Joint Working Group Plenary Meeting "Recommendations for Task Group 6—Green Building Demonstration Projects" Beijing, October 2003
Shanghai Economic Commission, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Sino-US Workshop on Energy Service Companies "Transforming Markets for New Construction" Shanghai, September 2003
Peking University, Green Buildings & Green Olympics Workshop, "Green Construction Standards for the 2008 Olympics" Beijing, September 2003
Shenzhen Construction Bureau, Green Building Seminar, "Transforming Markets for Sustainable Construction" Shenzhen, September 2003
Chongqing Construction Commission, Green Building Seminar, "Transforming Markets for Sustainable Construction" Chongqing, September 2003
Government of Taiwan, Nuclear-Free Homeland Conference, "Leadership Opportunities for a Sustainable Energy Future" Taipei, June 2003
Environdesign 2003, "Streamlined Lifecycle Assessment for Building Materials" Washington DC, May 2003
Non-Profit Multi-Tenant Building Conference "Greening Non-Profit Buildings" New York, May 2003
New York Real Estate Leadership Seminar, "LEEDing into the Future" New York, April 2003
Green Homes Summit, "The Long and Winding Road to LEED Homes" Kansas City, April 2003
Connecticut Green Architecture Roundtable, "LEEDing Market Transformation in Buildings" New Haven, March 2003
Department of Energy, "Update on the DOE/MOST Demonstration Project" Washington DC, March 2003
NYSERDA Green Buildings Workgroup, "LEEDing Market Transformation in Buildings" New York, January 2003
External Links
EcoTech International group [1] Ameerican SinoTech [2] American IndoTech [3] Natural Resources Defense Council [4] NRDC Building Green [5] Accord 21 Project [6] China Clean Energy [7] The U.S. green Building Council [8] LEED [9]