When USGBC talks about the vanguard of sustainability, we speak with reverence and respect for the pioneers in sustainable design, construction and operations. It is easy to forget, though, just how difficult it really is to be the very first LEED professional in your country and to certify that very first project. The story of Colin John Jenkins and Antigua and Barbuda’s very first LEED certification is an inspiring reminder of the commitment, courage and tenacity required to achieve LEED.

Getting started is the hardest part

In 2015, Jenkins, an architect in Antigua and Barbuda, attended the Caribbean Urban Forum, hosted by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), with the goal of bringing sustainable construction practices to the eastern Caribbean. Through IDB, Jenkins connected with me at USGBC, and we discussed various options and paths to supporting sustainable construction.

Ultimately, my advice was utilitarian: Get your LEED Green Associate credential, and then see if you’re able to convince building owners to pursue LEED. Although it would be wonderful if USGBC could fly someone to the Caribbean to help Jenkins make the case for LEED, he had to be the one to take the first step.

Feature image: The LEED Gold Fremont Office Building in Seattle, Washington. Photo credit: Built Work Photography/Meghan Montgomery.

The business case for LEED certification has always been a strong one, and the data keeps rolling in to support what users know about LEED: that the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit motivates the market.

In a follow-up to Part 1 of its recent report, “Green Is Good,” USGBC Platinum-level member Cushman and Wakefield has released “Sustainability’s Impact on Office Investment Pricing.” While Part 1 addressed the premium in rental income generated by a LEED certification for an office building, Part 2 examines how LEED certification affects sale pricing.

Bringing increased value in both cities and suburbs

Using CoStar data and taking into account office class quality, location and market, Cushman and Wakefield found that LEED-certified Class A urban office sales generated a 25.3% price per square foot premium over noncertified buildings. However, as the authors of the study point out, the high-rise office buildings of the city more commonly associated with LEED are not always the tallest in sales premiums—LEED-certified Class A offices in suburban areas achieved an impressive 40.9% premium.

Proving that LEED is also not just for luxury spaces, the data showed that Class B offices with LEED certifications achieved an even higher premium—77.5% over comparable, noncertified offices.

As we count down to our top 10 states for LEED in 2021 announcement, we are taking a look at the top 10 reasons to certify to LEED.

1. Reduced energy use and carbon emissions: A University of California–Berkeley study found that LEED-certified existing buildings contributed 50% fewer greenhouse gases (GHGs) than conventionally constructed buildings due to water consumption, 48% fewer GHGs due to solid waste and 5% fewer GHGs due to transportation.
2. Accountability: USGBC stands for accountability through the LEED third-party certification process. The LEED plaque stands for leadership and demonstrates that a building has been designed and built, and is operating, as intended. Being “built to LEED” or “LEED equivalency” doesn’t exist—there is no substitute for LEED certification.
3. Higher resale value and faster lease-up rates: A recent report from USGBC member Cushman and Wakefield analyzed LEED-certified buildings delivered between 2010 and 2020 and found that these properties were consistently more profitable than noncertified spaces in terms of rent (11% higher during the most recent five years) and reduced vacancy.
4. Lower utility costs: LEED buildings use, on average, 25% less energy than conventional buildings. In fact, the average Energy Star score of a LEED-certified building is 89.
5. Less waste: By 2030, LEED projects will have diverted more than 540 million tons of waste from landfills. For projects that want to dig deeper into waste reduction, the TRUE zero waste program is also available.
6. Improved employee retention: LEED-certified buildings can help companies attract talented employees. Plus, with strategies focused on thermal comfort and access to daylight, views and good indoor air quality, worker satisfaction in LEED-certified offices tends to be high, decreasing employee turnover. This is especially true among younger workers, who place a high value on working for employers that are green-minded and “walk the walk.”
7. Ability to meet ESG goals: LEED helps investors meet their ESG goals by providing them with a robust and globally recognized green building framework to measure and manage their real estate performance. The 2021 Cushman and Wakefield study found that the COVID-19 pandemic created an increase in tenant demand for spaces that met ESG goals, and LEED-certified assets have had lower vacancy rates than their conventional counterparts since the pandemic began. The 10-year time span of buildings covered in the study also suggested to the analysts that LEED spaces are more resilient overall during periods of market downturn or following a recession.
8. Tax benefits: Depending on where you are, LEED certification may qualify for tax breaks. USGBC has partnered with IncentiFind, which can help you find money for your LEED projects! In some cases, LEED buildings are located in special economic growth zones that can even mean paying little to nothing in state or local taxes.
9. Solid data on asset performance: LEED measures operating performance through the LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance rating system, which provides a road map for property managers, portfolio owners and service providers to verify the ongoing energy, water, carbon, waste and human experience performance of their buildings.
10. Knowing LEED works: More than 100,000 projects are using LEED to meet their goals, counting on its proven track record and third party verification. Be a part of the growing global green building community.

Dodge Data and Analytics recently released the 2021 World Green Building Trends Report, of which USGBC is a contributing partner. In addition to projecting growth in green building over the next several years, the report found that reducing embodied carbon is becoming a top priority within the industry.

Over the next 30 years, half of all greenhouse gas emissions from new buildings are projected to come from embodied carbon—which includes emissions from manufacturing, transportation, installation, maintenance and disposal of building materials. The green building industry is starting to focus more on this issue. In the 2021 report, respondents identified embodied carbon as one of their top priorities for the next five years.

The report showed that there is widespread understanding of the issue, with 82% of respondents aware of the concept of embodied carbon, and 34% actively tracking it in their projects. Of the respondents who are tracking, 22% said that they are actively seeking to reduce it, and 12% are not yet working to reduce it.

LEED certification is a major accomplishment. If you’ve certified a building, neighborhood or city, spread the word about your achievement! After all, every example of a successful, verified LEED space is an inspiration to others to put into practice the principles of sustainability that we believe in.

Why do developers and project managers seek LEED certification? Why don’t they just “build green” in the way they see fit, and avoid the verification process altogether?

These are questions we sometimes hear at USGBC—and the answer is that without third-party assessment, there can be no accountability. USGBC allows building professionals and occupants alike to have confidence that the spaces in which they live, learn, work and play truly meet the high standards of sustainability of our global community.

Putting our ideals into practice through measurable steps and strategies, and compiling the data to compare them with others, brings us closer to our targets for carbon reduction, human health and cost reduction.