Sources: U.S. Green Building Council, Washington, D.C.; CP staff
The USGBC Impact Report tracks the U.S. Green Building Council’s three decades of guiding the built environment to a sustainable future, especially through development of standards and certifications adopted or emulated the world over. The USGBC Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system has emerged since 1998 to an inventory of nearly 200,000 certified projects and 30 billion square feet of green building space in 186 countries. LEED-rooted practices and specifications underpin those projects’ collective savings of 120 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions to date. That volume indicates the tendency of LEED-certified buildings to reduce CO2 emissions by 34 percent and consume 25 percent less energy when measured against conventional alternatives.
“The impact of our community extends beyond buildings,” says USGBC CEO Peter Templeton. “Our global community has shaped policy, shifted markets toward sustainable and healthy materials, inspired generations of professionals, and proven that the built environment can be a leading contributor to a better future for all.”
“The green building community encompasses member organizations of all sizes and sectors, from large corporations to small businesses to local governments and research institutions,” he adds. “Each organization plays a pivotal role in advancing our vision of a world where buildings operate in harmony with the environment.”
LEED and 200,000-plus credential holders have positioned green buildings as a global priority, driven innovation, and influenced the way commercial, industrial or residential projects are designed, constructed, and operated. The rating system has also influenced building materials or products and site practices, making many more sustainable offerings or methods commonplace.
The USGBC 2024 Strategic Plan builds on the past 30 years of progress with a focus on green building community growth and accelerating buildings’ role in decarbonizing economies. In 2025, the Council will launch the LEED v5 rating system, aligning building decarbonization actions with 2030 and 2050 Paris Agreement targets while addressing critical imperatives related to human health, resilience, biodiversity, and equity.