According to a national survey, America's current financial slowdown could threaten to put green building on the back burner.

But top officials with a Chicago construction association say the nation's flagging economy gives the business community a compelling reason to pursue green building.

A recent survey by Duke University's Fuqua School of Business states, "As the economy tightens, marketers report that their firms have a weaker emphasis on 'marketing that is beneficial for society' and that 'minimizes the impact on the ecological environment. '"

"That trend could apply to both green products and green building," said Dan Bulley, senior vice president of the Mechanical Contractors Association of Chicago and executive director of the Green Construction Institute.