Canada ranks third globally for the amount of LEED certified space added to its national building inventory in 2021. The United States tops the list for uptake of the U.S.-based accreditation program for high-performance buildings, adding more than 280 million square feet of LEED certified space last year. China and Canada follow with 152.3 million and 34.5 million square feet of newly designated LEED space respectively.

“The owners and teams with certified LEED projects have made tremendous progress and are an inspiration as we build our way forward to a more sustainable and low-carbon future,” observes Thomas Mueller, president and chief executive officer of the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC). “Certified green buildings support our economy, create jobs and are better for both people and the planet.”

In total, 205 Canadian projects gained LEED certification in 2021. That’s about 19 per cent of China’s tally of 1,077 projects, but in a country with roughly 2.7 per cent of China’s population. India, with 30.3 million square feet certified in 146 projects, and Republic of Korea, with 16.8 million square feet certified in 42 projects, round out the top five.