Ontario Construction News staff writer
Canada ranks second on the annual list of top 10 countries and regions for LEED in 2021, the Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC) has announced.
A total of 205 projects were certified across Canada in 2021, representing more than 3.2 million gross square metres (GSM) of LEED space.
Mainland China topped the list with more than 14 million GSM certified to LEED in 2021, followed by Canada, India, Republic of Korea and Spain. The top five countries represent the ever-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. The U.S. 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.
“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 Thomas Mueller, president and CEO, CAGBC. “There is much work to be done to meet Canada’s climate and environmental goals.
“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,” he said.
The global LEED ranking is released annually by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), highlighting countries and territories outside the United States that are “making significant strides in healthy, sustainable and resilient building design, construction and operations.”
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) 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.