Philip Glick, senior vice president at ECBM Insurance Brokers & Consultants, answers this month’s reader’s question.

From an insurance and risk management standpoint, LEED-certified construction may represent significantly better risks to the insurance industry.

The idea is that developers and operators of LEED-certified buildings who put a greater emphasis on environmentally clean sites and construction methods, along with the selection of top-quality contractors, building methods and materials, will produce better built projects with lower operational costs.

It’s believed that those developers, contractors and building owners who put emphasis on environmental benefits will put greater emphasis on safety along with the use of environmentally friendly approaches and materials. Once the site is completed — during initial startup and the operating phases of various types of real estate