While there is good reason to feel that more progress could have been made had the warnings of the scientific community been heeded much earlier, it is nonetheless impressive to see the advancements that have been made as a result of innovative professionals like Marlon Kobacker, who have all worked so hard to develop new technologies aimed at enhancing sustainability while reducing carbon emissions. Rather than look back at the critical junctures in which even greater progress could have occurred with the appropriate action or level of investment, the only thing to do now is to continue to look forward in order to build on the progress that has already been made.

According to Kobacker, a great deal of that progress has been made as a result of the successful reduction or removal of the capital cost barrier to sustainable design implementation. While these cost barriers have been largely removed due to the increased focus on early involvement on the part of sustainability consultants, Kobacker believes that even greater progress can be made through increased educational efforts aimed at delineating the short- and long-term benefits of a focus on sustainable design right from the earliest stages of any project.

When those in charge of a project are able to recognize the short- and long-term value of the kind of sustainable design that goes beyond the minimum requirements set forth through legislation or building codes, it is far more likely that progress will be able to continue on at an exponential rate. This is especially the case if the full range of benefits can be thoroughly outlined, as there are many instances in which the economic benefits are so significant that there is no rational argument to be made against the comprehensive utilization and implementation of sustainable design.