Canada ranks third in the world in LEED adoption: CaGBC
When it comes to building LEED, there aren’t many countries more adept than Canada.
The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) announced recently that Canada ranked third globally on the annual list of Top 10 Countries and Regions for LEED in 2021. In 2021, Canada certified 205 projects, representing more than 3.2 million gross square metres (GSM) of LEED space.
The global LEED ranking is released annually by the U.S. Green Building Council. It highlights countries and territories outside the United States that are making significant strides in healthy, sustainable and resilient building design, construction and operations.
“Over the last two decades, CaGBC members, stakeholders and supporters have demonstrated how certified green buildings support our economy, create jobs and are better for both people and the planet,” said CaGBC president and CEO Thomas Mueller.
Mainland China topped the list with more than 14 million GSM certified to LEED in 2021. Canada, India, Republic of Korea and Spain followed.
The CaGBC says those five countries represent the growing international demand for certified LEED green buildings that help reduce environmental impact and support health and well-being. The list ranks countries in terms of GSM of space certified in 2021.
Others on the list include the United Arab Emirates Brazil, Italy, Mexico and Taiwan.
The United States is not included in the list, but remains the world’s largest market for LEED with more than 26 million GSM of certified space in 2021.
“There is much work to be done to meet Canada’s climate and environmental goals,” said Muller. “In this critical decade for climate and environmental action, we must accelerate LEED adoption across the building sector to achieve high levels of performance including the pursuit of net-zero carbon emissions. 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.”
LEED is the most widely used green building rating system in the world and provides a framework for healthy, highly efficient green buildings with positive returns on investment.