Advocates of green building have long held that environmentally friendly, energy efficient construction need not be more expensive; in the long run, green building will be cost effective both for the building owner and society at large. Several national studies and leading practitioners suggest that if there is a cost premium for building green, it is very small.      

This report examines recent construction projects in New York City in order to determine whether or not sustainability adds to project costs, and, if so, how much.