Canada ranked second in the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) annual Top 10 Countries and Regions for LEED list. Canada has a total of 2,970 LEED certified projects totalling 40.77 million gross square metres.
The list recognizes markets outside of the U.S. that use LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building program, created by USGBC.
“Canada’s green building industry has consistently proven that we are among the most innovative in the world, and this result further cements that leadership position,” says Thomas Mueller, president and CEO of the Canada Green Building Council.
The list ranks countries and regions in terms of cumulative LEED certified gross square meters. This latest list includes data from Dec. 31, 2017, and represents 6,657 projects totalling more than 158 million gross square metres.
China came in first with 1,211 certified projects, or 47.16 million gross square meters. Other countries to make the cut include India, Brazil, Germany, Taiwan, Turkey, Mexico, United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Korea.
“LEED has and will continue to be instrumental in bringing green building solutions to scale including energy efficiency and carbon, health and wellness, resiliency and advanced material choices,” said Mueller. “With LEED we can deliver now to substantially improve performance for buildings across Canada.”
LEED projects can be found in over 167 countries and territories, with more than 205,800 gross square meters of space certified daily, according to USGBC. LEED is a global, regional and local solution that provides a framework for buildings, communities and cities to create healthy, highly efficient and cost-saving spaces while working to improve quality of life.
“Canada remains an important leader in driving the adoption of LEED and green building,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO of USGBC and Green Business Certification, the global certifying body for LEED projects.
“Progress happens one project at a time and the work being done across Canada is helping to define where the industry is moving and how we stay focused on finding solutions that will continue to improve our quality of life.”
