BELGRADE, Serbia, Nov. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/. Today, Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), the certifying body for all projects participating in the LEED green building rating system, released its 2016 LEED in Motion: Europe report, which shows that one of the world's greenest markets is poised for greater adoption of LEED v4 – the newest version of the rating system.
"Europe plays an important role for the future of the entire green building movement, particularly when it comes to the existing buildings market," said Mahesh Ramanujam, COO, U.S. Green Building Council and president, GBCI. "GBCI is increasing its local capacity in Europe and providing new tools for the European building community to integrate LEED into all project types, not only for new construction, but also for renovations and retrofits."
The report, which was also featured as part of the USGBC-sponsored Green Building EXPO International Exhibition & Conference being held in Belgrade this week, notes a cross-section of sectors, from retail to hospitality, participating in LEED v4. The report also details the many technical pathways, developed by green building leaders in Europe, for projects to demonstrate compliance with LEED's credits.
This timely report also examines recent and significant gains in the application of green building techniques throughout Europe, and even stronger year-over-year growth in the use of LEED. LEED in Motion: Europe notes strong growth in the number of LEED projects, containing more than 4,300 projects participating in LEED, encompassing more than 95 million gross square feet of LEED space, with more than 2,400 LEED professionals.
"I love LEED v4 for its increased rigor, transparency and its strong emphasis on performance," said Marija Golubovic, president of ENERGO Group and chairwoman of the Green Building EXPO International Exhibition and Conference. "Europe is definitely ready for LEED v4. We see a very positive effort in the market through product manufacturers and service providers around v4, which will facilitate ease and even greater adoption of LEED across Europe."
LEED is a simple and effective program for navigating complex, sometimes competing, building and environmental issues affecting humans worldwide. Every day, more than 170,000 gross square meters of space is LEED-certified in more than 160 countries and territories. More than 79,600 commercial projects are currently participating in LEED, comprising more than 1.4 billion square meters of construction space. With specific achievement paths built in, LEED is designed for use in various building types in a variety of climates and localities, often syncing with local laws and requirements.
LEED in Motion: Europe is the latest in a series of reports from GBCI designed to provide a holistic snapshot of the green building movement in international markets. The report equips green building advocates with the insight and perspective to understand the use of the globally recognized LEED rating system and to make a strong case for sustainable building activity. As of Oct. 31, 2016, LEED v4 is the only version of LEED in which to register your new project.
Contact: Marisa Long, +1-412-877-7592, Mlong@usgbc.org