Robert K. Watson
Encyclopedia
Robert Watson, born in Chicago, Illinois, in the United States, is an international leader in the green building
movement. He founded the LEED
Green Building Rating System of the United States Green Building Council
(USGBC) in 1993 and was its Founding Chairman until 2006.
After helping to pioneer the green building concept as the "Father of LEED," Watson founded the EcoTech International Group (ETI) to meet the fast-growing demand for green building technologies and services in China, Russia, India and the United States. Watson is currently the Chairman, CEO and Chief Scientist of EcoTech International and its subsidiaries.
Since 2008, Watson has also been the Executive Editor of GreenerBuildings.com where he blogs about the state of green. His work on green buildings in China and green technology in general has been featured in numerous publications, including Fortune Magazine and The Economist
and has been referenced on multiple occasions by New York Times columnist, Thomas Friedman
. In Thomas Friedman's 2008 book, Hot, Flat, and Crowded
, Watson is described as "one of the best environmental minds in America."
Former Senior Scientist and Director of the Natural Resources Defense Council
's International Energy and Green Building programs, Watson has over 25 years of experience on five continents improving the environmental performance of buildings, utilities and transportation through energy and building policy and program development, integrated design solutions, and clean building technologies.
Watson was the only foreigner to have been honored by Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People's Republic of China with its first Green Innovation Award 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 Achievement for his work with the organization.
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 and Green Building programs at the Natural Resources Defense Council
(NRDC) from 1985 to 2006, Watson was active in international sustainable building, utility and transportation issues in a dozen countries including China, the United States and Russia.
Since 1997, Watson has worked with the Ministry of Construction of China to develop green building standards and energy codes for commercial and residential buildings. He also was the principal coordinator for ACCORD21, a key green building demonstration project in Beijing for the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China
(MOST) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). This building was the first to receive LEED Certification in China at the Gold Level.
In other international work, Watson helped to develop improved national residential building codes in Russia, as well as in Moscow, and managed a joint U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Agency for International Development project to promote Integrated Resource Planning in the utility sector for 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.
On behalf of NRDC, Watson advocated for sustainable energy policies and programs before 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
, Department of Energy
, United States Treasury, Environmental Protection Agency
, National Security Council
, Office of Environmental Policy), to promote sustainable energy policies and programs in the developing world. Watson played an important role in developing the “Partnership for Sustainable Energy Use” for the hemisphere-wide Summit of the Americas
in 1996.
Watson created the first documented, quantifiable “Green Office” in the U.S. for the Natural Resources Defense Council’s NYC headquarters in 1987. Watson took primary responsibility for developing the green features of NRDC’s showcase green offices in Washington, DC and the LEED Platinum Level Robert Redford Building in Los Angeles — one of the highest recipients of LEED points in the world. He also consulted on the San Francisco office, which achieved LEED Gold Level Certification.
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 Bill Clinton
.
(MBA) from Columbia University
, holds 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
.
Watson speaks fluent Spanish and intermediate 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 (Boy Scouts of America)
in 1976.
"China is just beginning to move from copying to creating. The last time they were in full creative mode they invented paper, the compass and gun powder."
"We need to use the one faculty that distinguishes us as human beings--the ability to imagine. We need to fully grasp the non-linear, unmanageable, climate events that could unfold in our lifetime. because if we hit the wall, there will be no seat belts or air bags, and we will end up being a bad biological experiment on the planet."
"You know, if you jump off the top floor of an eighty story building, you can actually feel like you're flying for seventy-nine stories. It's the sudden stop at the end that gets you."
"We are either going to be losers or heroes--there's no room anymore for anything in between,"
"We cannot continue to use eighteenth century economics, and nineteenth century engineering, to solve twentieth century problems. We need to move from EGOnomics to ECOnomics." Sc3 Congress, 2009
Green building
Green building refers to a structure and using process that is environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition...
movement. He founded the LEED
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design consists of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods....
Green Building Rating System of the United States Green Building Council
United States Green Building Council
The U.S. Green Building Council , co-founded by Mike Italiano, David Gottfried and Rick Fedrizzi in 1993, is a non-profit trade organization that promotes sustainability in how buildings are designed, built, and operated...
(USGBC) in 1993 and was its Founding Chairman until 2006.
After helping to pioneer the green building concept as the "Father of LEED," Watson founded the EcoTech International Group (ETI) to meet the fast-growing demand for green building technologies and services in China, Russia, India and the United States. Watson is currently the Chairman, CEO and Chief Scientist of EcoTech International and its subsidiaries.
Since 2008, Watson has also been the Executive Editor of GreenerBuildings.com where he blogs about the state of green. His work on green buildings in China and green technology in general has been featured in numerous publications, including Fortune Magazine and The Economist
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
and has been referenced on multiple occasions by New York Times columnist, Thomas Friedman
Thomas Friedman
Thomas Lauren Friedman is an American journalist, columnist and author. He writes a twice-weekly column for The New York Times. He has written extensively on foreign affairs including global trade, the Middle East, and environmental issues and has won the Pulitzer Prize three times.-Personal...
. In Thomas Friedman's 2008 book, Hot, Flat, and Crowded
Hot, Flat, and Crowded
Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution—And How It Can Renew America is a book by New York Times Foreign Affairs columnist Thomas Friedman, proposing that the solutions to global warming and the best method to regain the United States' economic and political stature in the world is...
, Watson is described as "one of the best environmental minds in America."
Former Senior Scientist and Director of the Natural Resources Defense Council
Natural Resources Defense Council
The Natural Resources Defense Council is a New York City-based, non-profit, non-partisan international environmental advocacy group, with offices in Washington DC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Beijing...
's International Energy and Green Building programs, Watson has over 25 years of experience on five continents improving the environmental performance of buildings, utilities and transportation through energy and building policy and program development, integrated design solutions, and clean building technologies.
Watson was the only foreigner to have been honored by Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People's Republic of China with its first Green Innovation Award 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 Achievement for his work with the organization.
Life and work
Rob started out his career in Golden Bc with an education at the renowned college of the rockiesm While an undergraduate at Dartmouth CollegeDartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
studying Energy and Environmental Policy, Rob spent several months living in a tent at an altitude of 8,000 feet helping Amory Lovins
Amory Lovins
Amory Bloch Lovins is an American environmental scientist and writer, Chairman and Chief Scientist of the Rocky Mountain Institute. He has worked in the field of energy policy and related areas for four decades...
and Hunter Lovins
Hunter Lovins
L. Hunter Lovins is an author and a promoter of sustainable development for over 30 years, is president of Natural Capitalism Solutions, a 5013 non-profit in Longmont, Colorado and the Chief Insurgent of the Madrone Project...
build Rocky Mountain Institute
Rocky Mountain Institute
Rocky Mountain Institute is an organization in the United States dedicated to research, publication, consulting, and lecturing in the general field of sustainability, with a special focus on profitable innovations for energy and resource efficiency. RMI was established in 1982 and has grown into a...
.
As a Senior Scientist and Director of the International Energy and Green Building programs at the Natural Resources Defense Council
Natural Resources Defense Council
The Natural Resources Defense Council is a New York City-based, non-profit, non-partisan international environmental advocacy group, with offices in Washington DC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Beijing...
(NRDC) from 1985 to 2006, Watson was active in international sustainable building, utility and transportation issues in a dozen countries including China, the United States and Russia.
Since 1997, Watson has worked with the Ministry of Construction of China to develop green building standards and energy codes for commercial and residential buildings. He also was the principal coordinator for ACCORD21, a key green building demonstration project in Beijing for the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China
Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China
The Ministry of Science and Technology , formerly as State Science and Technology Commission , is a ministry of the government of the People's Republic of China which coordinates science and technology activities in the country....
(MOST) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). This building was the first to receive LEED Certification in China at the Gold Level.
In other international work, Watson helped to develop improved national residential building codes in Russia, as well as in Moscow, and managed a joint U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Agency for International Development project to promote Integrated Resource Planning in the utility sector for the North Caucasus
North Caucasus
The North Caucasus is the northern part of the Caucasus region between the Black and Caspian Seas and within European Russia. The term is also used as a synonym for the North Caucasus economic region of Russia....
region of Russia. He has also worked on sustainable energy
Sustainable energy
Sustainable energy is the provision of energy that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Sustainable energy sources include all renewable energy sources, such as hydroelectricity, solar energy, wind energy, wave power, geothermal...
and green development
Green development
Green development is a land use planning concept that includes consideration of community-wide or regional environmental implications of development, as well as site-specific green building concepts...
issues in buildings, electric utilities and transportation in Belarus, Bolivia, Chile, Cuba, Mexico, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Ukraine.
On behalf of NRDC, Watson advocated for sustainable energy policies and programs before several international financial institutions, including the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
, Inter-American Development Bank
Inter-American Development Bank
The Inter-American Development Bank is the largest source of development financing for Latin America and the Caribbean...
and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
Founded in 1991, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development uses the tools of investment to help build market economies and democracies in 30 countries from central Europe to central Asia. Its mission was to support the formerly communist countries in the process of establishing their...
, as well as several U.S. government agencies (USAID
United States Agency for International Development
The United States Agency for International Development is the United States federal government agency primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid. President John F. Kennedy created USAID in 1961 by executive order to implement development assistance programs in the areas...
, Department of Energy
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
, United States Treasury, Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
, National Security Council
United States National Security Council
The White House National Security Council in the United States is the principal forum used by the President of the United States for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and Cabinet officials and is part of the Executive Office of the...
, Office of Environmental Policy), to promote sustainable energy policies and programs in the developing world. Watson played an important role in developing the “Partnership for Sustainable Energy Use” for the hemisphere-wide Summit of the Americas
Summit of the Americas
The Summits of the Americas is a series of international summit meetings bringing together the leaders of countries in North America, Central America, South America and the Caribbean. Neither the elderly leader nor a representative from Cuba participated in this summit...
in 1996.
Watson created the first documented, quantifiable “Green Office” in the U.S. for the Natural Resources Defense Council’s NYC headquarters in 1987. Watson took primary responsibility for developing the green features of NRDC’s showcase green offices in Washington, DC and the LEED Platinum Level Robert Redford Building in Los Angeles — one of the highest recipients of LEED points in the world. He also consulted on the San Francisco office, which achieved LEED Gold Level Certification.
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 Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
.
Selected appointments
- 2009 to Present - Launch Advisory Board, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
- 2009 to Present - Special Environmental Advisor, Construction Commission, Liao Ning Province, China
- 2006 to 2008 - Special Advisor, Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of ChinaMinistry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of ChinaThe Ministry of Science and Technology , formerly as State Science and Technology Commission , is a ministry of the government of the People's Republic of China which coordinates science and technology activities in the country....
(MOST) and United States Department of EnergyUnited States Department of EnergyThe United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
(DOE) on the development of green construction standards and demonstration projects for the 2008 Summer Olympics2008 Summer OlympicsThe 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. - 2006 to 2007 - International Expert, Beijing Development and Reform Commission, Building Energy and Environment Center
- 2005 to 2006 - Special Expert, Shenyang Association of Science and Technology
- 2005 - Tsinghua UniversityTsinghua UniversityTsinghua University , colloquially known in Chinese as Qinghua, is a university in Beijing, China. The school is one of the nine universities of the C9 League. It was established in 1911 under the name "Tsinghua Xuetang" or "Tsinghua College" and was renamed the "Tsinghua School" one year later...
, International Academic Committee of Building Energy Research - 2005 - Shenzhen Institute of Building Research, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Building Energy Efficiency
- 2005 - Visiting Professor, Shenyang Jianzhu (Architectural) University appointment
- 2005 - First Representatives Conference, Chongqing Association of Energy Efficiency in Buildings
Academic appointments
- Yale University, School of Forestry & Environmental Studies: Invited Lecturer, 2005-Present
- Shenyang Architectural University: Associate Professor 2006-2008
- Tsinghua University: International Academic Committee, Building Energy Research Center 2005-2008
Awards
- 2009 - Institute of Green Professionals, Honorary Fellow
- 2005 - Ministry of Construction of China (MOC), first Green Innovation Award--the only foreigner so honored—for work on green buildings in China
- 2005 - Association of Energy EngineersAssociation of Energy EngineersThe , founded in 1977, is a nonprofit professional society of over 14,000 members in 83 countries. The mission of AEE is “to promote the scientific and educational interests of those engaged in the energy industry and to foster action for sustainable development.”AEE offers a full array of...
(AEE), International Energy Development Professional Award for work on LEED and green buildings in China - 2004 - Interiors & Sources Magazine, Top 25 Environmental Champions in the Building Industry
- 2004 - New York Chapter, Association of Energy Engineers, International Energy Professional Development Award for work on LEED and green buildings in China
- 2003 - Engineering News-RecordEngineering News-RecordEngineering News-Record is a weekly magazine that provides news, analysis, data and opinion for the construction industry worldwide...
, 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
Watson received a Master of Business AdministrationMaster of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
(MBA) from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, holds a Master of Science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
(MS) degree from the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
Energy Resources Group (ERG) and is a graduate of Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
where he was a Senior Fellow. In 1993, Watson was the first Environmental Fellow at the Institute of Transportation Studies
Institute of Transportation Studies
The Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, University of California, Irvine, and University of California, Davis is a center for research, education, and scholarship in the field of transportation...
at University of California, Davis
University of California, Davis
The University of California, Davis is a public teaching and research university established in 1905 and located in Davis, California, USA. Spanning over , the campus is the largest within the University of California system and third largest by enrollment...
.
Watson speaks fluent Spanish and intermediate 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
Kuk Sool Won
Kuk Sool Won is a Korean martial arts system founded by Suh In-Hyuk |Grandmaster]]) in 1958. The name Kuk Sool Won translates to "National Martial Art Association" and despite often being shortened to 'Kuk Sool,' the name kuk sool is a non-trade marked name used to denote similar Korean martial...
(Instructor), and a black belt in Jow Hop Kuen Kung Fu. Rob became an Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
in 1976.
Quotes
"Mother nature is just chemistry, biology and physics. That's all she is. You cannot sweet-talk her. You cannot spin her. You cannot tell her that the oil companies say climate change is a hoax. No, Mother Nature is going to do whatever chemistry, biology and physics dictate. Mother nature always bats last, and she always bats 1,000.""China is just beginning to move from copying to creating. The last time they were in full creative mode they invented paper, the compass and gun powder."
"We need to use the one faculty that distinguishes us as human beings--the ability to imagine. We need to fully grasp the non-linear, unmanageable, climate events that could unfold in our lifetime. because if we hit the wall, there will be no seat belts or air bags, and we will end up being a bad biological experiment on the planet."
"You know, if you jump off the top floor of an eighty story building, you can actually feel like you're flying for seventy-nine stories. It's the sudden stop at the end that gets you."
"We are either going to be losers or heroes--there's no room anymore for anything in between,"
"We cannot continue to use eighteenth century economics, and nineteenth century engineering, to solve twentieth century problems. We need to move from EGOnomics to ECOnomics." Sc3 Congress, 2009
Organizations and committees
- U.S. Green Building Council, Founding Chairman of the LEED National Steering Committee: 1994–2005; LEED Core & Shell Committee: 2002–2004; USGBC Board of Directors: 2005–present and 1994 to 2000; USGBC Vice Chairman and Environmental Affairs Officer: 1999–2000
- 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
- American-Chinese Committee Organized for Restorative Development in the 21st Century (ACCORD21), Chairman & President
- The Green Standard (formerly, International Design Center for the Environment or IDCE), Chair Emeritus; Chair, 2005–2006, Member of the Board, 2000–2004
- President’s Council for Sustainable Development, Steering Committee Member, National Town Meeting for a Sustainable America, 1998-99
Selected publications
- Watson, Rob (2011). The Green Building Market and Impact Report 2011. GreenBiz.com.
- Watson, Rob (2010). The Green Building Market and Impact Report 2010. GreenBiz.com.
- Watson, Rob (2009). The Green Building Market and Impact Report 2009. GreenBiz.com.
- Radical Confidence, Rob Watson's blog at GreenBiz.com.
- Watson, Rob (23 December 2005). LEED Is Not Perfect, But It's Not Broken Environmental Design + Construction.
- Langer, Ken and Watson, Rob (07 November 2005). Bringing LEED to China. Environmental Design and Construction.
- Langer, Ken and Watson, Rob (November/December 2004). The Greening of China's Building Industry. The China Business Review.
- Goldstein, David B. and Watson, Robert K. (March 2002). Transforming Chinese Buildings. Natural Resources Defense Council.
Videos and podcasts
- "Zayed Future Energy Prize on CNN's 'PRISM'". YouTube.com. 09 October 2011.
- "Rob Watson, Streaming from GreenBuild 2011, Toronto". YouTube.com. 07 October 2011.
- "CSE Conversation with Rob Watson & Dennis Quaintance". YouTube.com. 20 July 2010.
- "Office space goes green". Fortune. 19 June 2009.
- "Rob Watson, Father of LEED, Talks Green". YouTube.com. 13 September 2008.
- "Robert 'Rob' Watson, Tomorrow 2009". YouTube.com. 22 October 2009.
- Makower, Joel. "Rob Watson on the Real Impact of Green Buildings." 11 December 2008. GreenBiz.com.