Green hotel building continues to grow, says USGBC
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) released its LEED in Motion: Hospitality report. The organization says the report showcases tremendous industry growth in green building and defines the scale up opportunities for the hospitality sector.
More than 109 million sq ft of hotel space is currently LEED certified, and the report highlights some of the more unique LEED-certified hotels throughout the world.
“Across industries we are seeing an increase in consumer demand toward sustainability practices, and no industry is better poised to meet these demands than hospitality. This growing sector is rapidly adopting green buildings because owners and developers want to enhance their triple bottom line — people, planet, and profit,” said Rick Fedrizzi, CEO and founding chair of USGBC. “LEED is a transformative tool that positively impacts the quality of our built space by creating a healthier, more sustainable environment that saves money and resources.”
According to USGBC, hotels consume natural resources at an extraordinarily high rate as they are occupied 24 hours a day, seven days a week. With more than five billion sq ft of space in the U.S. alone, the council believes there is an enormous opportunity for the industry to transform the impact of the built environment.
LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) has a growing presence in the hospitality industry — and the number of LEED-certified buildings is expected to continue at a strong pace. Currently, there are more than 1,400 hotels participating in LEED representing 638.7 million sq ft. Of that, there are more than 300 LEED-certified hotels comprising nearly 109.2 million sq ft of space.
A recent study from McGraw Hill Construction claims that green construction in the hospitality sector has increased by 50% from 2011-2013 and now represents 25% of all new construction in the sector today. USGBC’s recent Green Building Economic Impact Study also found that across industries, green construction is outpacing that of traditional construction and is poised to create more than 3.3 million U.S. jobs and $190.3 billion in labor earnings by 2018.
LEED in Motion: Hospitality is the latest in a series of reports from USGBC designed to provide a snapshot of the green building movement in international markets. The report aims to equip green building advocates with insights and perspectives to understand the use of the LEED rating system and to make a case for sustainable building.
To download LEED in Motion: Hospitality, go here.
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