Dive Brief:

• More than 4.3 million Americans live or work in LEED-certified buildings, which are certified to be energy-efficient, sustainable and easy on the environment, according to market research firm BCC Research.

• The U.S. market for green building materials topped $43 billion in 2014, and could grow at an above-average pace to $69 billion within four years, the report said.

• Residential and commercial builders are seeing increasing demand for eco-friendly building products, making the green building sector a growth area in the U.S. economy, according to the report.

Dive Insight:

To meet that demand, more than 500 U.S. manufacturers are producing green building materials, designing green buildings, or constructing them, the report said.

“This number is likely to grow rapidly as more building owners and investors become aware of the potential of green building,” its authors wrote. “These trends provide an opportunity for both existing players and new entrants into the green building materials market.”