LEED certification system eclipses 100K commercial building mark

Sources: U.S. Green Building Council, Washington, D.C.; CP staff

Auditors for the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program have registered and certified more than 100,000 commercial facilities across the globe. LEED certification is present pacing more than 2.6 million square feet of space daily, the group notes, signifying how project teams and owners are going “above and beyond to ensure a building is designed, constructed, operated and performing to the highest level of sustainability.”

“In 1998, we created LEED to measure and define what green building meant, and provide a roadmap for developing sustainable buildings,” says USGBC CEO Mahesh Ramanujam. “Today, millions are living, working and learning in LEED-certified buildings around the world. These spaces are using less energy and water, mitigating the environmental burden on their communities, saving money and offering the people who occupy them a better quality of life. This latest milestone demonstrates how the global green building community is delivering on the vision we set forth more than 20 years ago.”

LEED-certified buildings are a solution for companies, communities and cities looking to improve quality of life for people while reducing their environmental impact by responsibly managing energy, carbon, water, waste, transportation and materials, he adds.