The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) recently announced their annual list of the Top 10 U.S. States for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building, with Colorado at the top spot, based on 2019 LEED data.
The Washington, D.C.-based USGBC created LEED, the most prolific green building framework and certification program in the world, to promote the creation and maintenance of efficient, environmentally-sustainable buildings of all kinds. Currently, there are more than 100,000 LEED projects worldwide.
A LEED-certified building project is water and energy-efficient, reduces carbon emissions, and promotes general well-being of users.
This year’s Top 10 States boasted a combined 1,181 LEED-certified projects. The states were chosen based on their 2019 data for the amount of LEED-certified gross square feet of commercial and industrial green building projects per person in that state, using the 2010 U.S. Census data.
The rankings, in order:
1) COLORADO
2) ILLINOIS
3) NEW YORK
4) MASSACHUSETTS
5) HAWAII
6) MARYLAND
7) VIRGINIA
8) MINNESOTA
9) OREGON
10) CALIFORNIA
Note: while WASHINGTON, D.C. did not appear in the Top 10 list as it is a federal district and not a state, USGBC recognizes that it has a strong history of leading the nation in sustainability, and became the first LEED-certified city in 2017.
For further information about the 2019 Top Ten States and Washington, D,C., visit here:
https://www.usgbc.org/articles/infographic-top-10-states-leed-2019
Written by Nicole Foulke