In January, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced that Illinois continues to be a leader in LEED green building. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is changing the way we think about how buildings and communities are planned, constructed, maintained and operated, and is the world’s most widely used and recognized green building rating system. The 2016 national rankings placed Illinois third on the annual list, making Illinois one of only two states to remain in the top ten since the list began in 2010. The annual list highlights states throughout the country that made significant strides in sustainable building design, construction and transformation over the past year.
The LEED green building certification system is the foremost program for the design, construction, maintenance and operations of green buildings. More than 59,000 commercial, neighborhood and residential projects are currently LEED certified.
