Sustainable development is increasingly important to specifiers and the general public throughout the construction industry. Sustainable development is the social, economic, and environmental commitment to growth and development that meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Often lost in the emphasis on sustainability is the economic factor. To achieve true sustainability, environmentally friendly structures must also be economically responsible for future generations to thrive.

As social pressure continues to drive the sustainability movement, specifiers are becoming more invested and analytical in the evaluation of materials utilized in their projects. Sustainability centers on thinking about the future; thus, the short-sightedness of only considering initial cost should be augmented with the long-term life-cycle cost analysis. Evaluating the cost of a project throughout its life ensures more economic stability for future generations.