Turkey, Germany and Spain Recognized as Top Countries for LEED Green Building

On Feb. 13, 2019, the U.S. Green Building Council  (USGBC),  the creators of the LEED green building rating system, announced the an- nual Top 10 Countries and Regions for LEED outside of the U.S.  The list recognizes markets that are using LEED to create healthier spaces  for people, as well as use less  energy and water, re- duce carbon emissions  and save mon- ey for families and businesses. Europe was well represented by Turkey, Germany and Spain who ranked sixth, seventh and tenth respectively. The three countries have nearly 1,000  certified LEED buildings totaling more than 25 million gross square meters of space.

“For the last 25 years, LEED has played a key role in sustainability efforts around the world,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO, USGBC and Green Business Certifi cation Inc. (GBCI), the global certifying body for LEED projects.
“The Top 10 Countries and Regions represent a global community of dedicated USGBC member companies and green building professionals who are committed to improving our quality of life. A better future requires a universal living standard that leaves no one behind-and that future would simply not be possible without the extraordinary work being done in these countries.” 

Certifications across the three countries are helping to raise the bar for green building. Projects including Turkey’s Teknopark Istanbul Second Phase Buildings is a corporate park supporting the country’s technology development and certified Gold under LEED v4. Germany’s Airport Garden’s office located within Dusseldorf’s Airport Area certified Gold using LEED v4 and was designed with fl exible fl oor plans to meet the needs of occupants. 

In Spain, the Logistik Gavilanes is a food distribution warehouse and the first warehouse to certify Gold under LEED v4. The list ranks countries and regions in terms of cumulative LEED-certified  gross square meters as of December 31, 2018 and represents 7,798 certified projects and more than 210 million gross square meters of space. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the world’s most widely used green building program with 96,275 registered and certified projects in more than 167 countries and territories. The full rankings are below.

“It is GBCI Europe’s privilege to support the global top 10 markets of Turkey, Germany and Spain. The diversity of these three markets is a representation of how widely accepted LEED is in Europe,” said Kay Killmann, managing director, GBCI Europe. “With the help of regional experts in these leading markets, GBCI Europe will continue to advance the global green building mission and further transform the European  market.”