Top 10 Countries With LEED-Certified Projects

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A new report from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) contains all the numbers and rankings a green building advocate could want to know regarding Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) projects in the U.S. and beyond.

LEED in Motion: Places and Policies highlights projects around the globe and the impact the green building set of standards made in the 13 years since it was created. LEED’s expansion has been massive, as about 40 percent of the properties that are pursing registration and/or certification are located outside of the U.S.

There are nearly 60,000 LEED green building projects in the world, spanning 10.6 billion square feet. Canada, India, China, the United Arab Emirates and Brazil are the countries with the most LEED projects outside of the U.S.

Graphic credit: U.S. Green Building Council

“LEED was not designed with a single paradigm, project or country in mind,” USGBC President and CEO Rick Fedrizzi said. “It’s adaptable and flexible and changes with the market. And it’s a testament to the leaders around the world who use it.”

The report also serves as a preview to LEED v4, which will launch during the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, Nov. 20-22 in Philadelphia. LEED v4 contains a new rating system and added flexibility to evaluate, register, certify and provide solutions for existing buildings, warehouses, existing schools, data centers and more.

“LEED v4 raises the bar on what defines a green building, and is designed to challenge existing benchmarks and thresholds,” the report reads. “Users will know they’ve implemented a deeply impactful project.”

LEED in Motion also highlights a few cities and counties that have been proactive in implementing green building by integrating LEED into their legislative codes—Baltimore County, MD, Huntington, NY and Dallas, TX, which approved a green building code to help the city become carbon neutral by 2030.

Graphic credit: U.S. Green Building Council

The report concludes with statistical breakdowns of federal LEED projects and a state-by-state ranking of LEED-certified buildings.

“LEED is a global phenomenon,” Scot Horst, senior vice president of LEED, said. “People spend 90 percent of their lives indoors. A healthy, resource-friendly and environmentally sound indoor environment contributes to the health, happiness and well-being of people and is something people from countries across the globe are finding value in.”

Visit EcoWatch’s GREEN BUILDING page for more related news on this topic.

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