China Ranks Second Among Top 10 Countries for LEED Green Building

WASHINGTON, July 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced that China ranks second among the Top 10 Countries for LEED, the world's most widely used and recognized green building rating system. The Top 10 list highlights countries outside of the U.S. that are making significant strides in sustainable building design, construction and transformation, illustrating the ever-growing international demand for LEED green buildings. The announcement comes at a time of increased international focus on climate change mitigation in the lead up to the United Nations' COP21 climate negotiations this December.

USGBC's announcement also comes at a significant time for China's national sustainability movement, as the country has been applauded for the leadership position it established on climate change mitigation with the release of its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) last month in the lead up to the negotiations in Paris. This is also a period of increased environmental awareness across China that has enabled sustainability to gain vast social and political traction. Heightened concerns over unsafe levels of PM 2.5 air pollution in major population centers such as Beijing and Shanghai have helped to demonstrate the important role that green buildings play in maintaining the health and wellness of the Chinese people.

"China has been a rising economic power for more than two decades, and it is clear that we cannot solve major international challenges such as climate change without real leadership from the world's most populated," said Rick Fedrizzi, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. "Chinese business leaders and policymakers have signaled they understand this challenge and see it as an opportunity to develop healthier, more sustainable communities through the wide scale adoption of proven and effective tools such as LEED."

The 10 countries that made the list for 2015 are geographically and culturally diverse, representing seven of the world's 20 largest single-nation economies by gross domestic product (GDP) (China, Germany, Brazil, India, Canada, South Korea and Turkey), as well as six of the top 11 emitters of greenhouse gases (China, India, Germany, South Korea, Canada and Brazil).

The analysis used to develop the list ranks countries in terms of gross square meters (GSM) and numbers of LEED projects to date. LEED-certified spaces use less energy and water resources, save money for families, businesses and taxpayers, reduce carbon emissions and create a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community. The United States, the birthplace of LEED, is not included in this list but remains the world's largest market for LEED. The U.S. is the world's largest economy by GDP as well as the world's second largest emitter of greenhouse gases.

Every day, nearly 172,000 GSM of space is certified using LEED, and there are currently more than 69,800 commercial and institutional projects representing 1.23 billion GSM of space participating in the green building rating system. An additional 76,500 residential units have been certified under LEED for Homes. LEED projects can now be found in more than 150 countries and territories across the world.

The full ranking is as follows:

At a time when the international community is looking to the UN's negotiations in Paris as a historically significant chance to come up with real, binding solutions to climate change, the global popularity of LEED is a sign that a 'green economic miracle' is well within reach. LEED's success demonstrates that there are proven, internationally credible solutions to some of the complex questions surrounding climate change mitigation that can help stimulate economic growth while also avoiding harmful economic disruptions. With buildings accounting for up to 30 percent of global emissions, a commitment to the rapid transformation of the global built environment seems to be one solution that the entire world can get behind.

A sample of notable projects that certified in China in 2014 include:

• Beijing: Wangjing SOHO, LEED Gold
• Shanghai: China Merchants Bank Tower, LEED Gold
• Chengdu: Raffles City Chengdu, LEED Gold
• Wuxi: Johnson Controls Research & Development Center, LEED Gold
• Beijing: Beijing No 2 Experimental School, LEED Platinum

Support for LEED is strong and growing amongst Chinese business leaders across the country, with 85 USGBC member organizations already present in China operating in diverse fields such as retail, construction, manufacturing, real estate, the non-profit sector, municipal utilities and many other professional services. There are nearly 2,000 LEED credential holders in China, and 70 percent of these professionals are LEED Accredited Professionals--the highest credential offered by USGBC.

* The United States is not officially named to this list, but it remains the world's largest market for green building.

Contact: Marisa Long
USGBC
202-552-1500
mlong@usgbc.org