Washington, D.C., tops LEED list
If you’re looking to work in a green building, your best bet is to job hunt in Washington, D.C., Virginia or Colorado.
Those locales are among the top states in the U.S. Green Building Council’s annual top 10 list of states with the most certifications under the group’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design building-rating program.
“Securing a spot on this list is a remarkable achievement for everyone involved in the green building movement in these states,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founder of the USGBC. “From architects and designers to local chapter advocates, their collective efforts have brought sustainable building design and use to the forefront of the national discussion on the environment, and I applaud their efforts to create a healthier present and future for the people of their states.”
The per-capita list is based on 2010 U.S. Census data and surveys of commercial and institutional buildings. To date, more than 2.2 billion square feet of space has been certified worldwide.
Washington, D.C., took the No. 1 spot, with 36.97 square feet of LEED space per resident.
"Buildings are a primary focus of our mayor's ‘Sustainable D.C.’ initiative," said Keith Anderson, interim director for the district’s environment department. "We are indeed thrilled to be leading the nation in per-capita LEED certified space. Our private and public building sectors are boldly leading with the development of high performing green buildings, and we have aligned governmental policies to support such innovation."
USGBC National Capital Region Chapter Chairman Mike Babcock said the group has long been working to make Washington greener.
"In our nation's capital, we have a responsibility to lead by example,” Babcock said. “We are actively working with the stakeholders in our region toward realizing a shared vision for a truly sustainable community. The ongoing commitment and leadership of the public, private, and community-based organizations to support and encourage green building practices in our region has made this achievement possible. While still in the infancy of realizing our vision, this accomplishment reinforces a step in the right direction.”
A distant No. 2 is Virginia with 3.71 square feet per resident. It overtook the second spot from Colorado, which has 2.10 LEED square feet per person.
The rest of the top 10 states are: Massachusetts, Illinois, Maryland, New York, Washington state, California, Texas and Nevada.
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