Washington, D.C. and Ottawa, ON— (July 22, 2015) — Today, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced that Canada ranks first on USGBC's second annual ranking of the Top 10 Countries forLEED, the world's most widely used and recognized green building rating system.

The Top 10 list highlights countries outside of the U.S. that are making significant strides in sustainable building design, construction and transformation, illustrating the ever-growing international demand for LEED green buildings. The announcement comes at a time of increased international focus on climate change mitigation in the lead up to the United Nation's COP21 climate negotiations this December.

"We are extremely proud to be named as the top country for LEED projects internationally again this year," said Thomas Mueller, President and CEO of the CaGBC. "By leading the global adoption of LEED, Canada's building industry is demonstrating how business and sustainability can go hand in hand to reduce environmental impacts including carbon emissions. Building owners and developers are increasingly making LEED an integral part of doing business spurring demand for innovative products, technologies and services, and, in the process, creating jobs and positive bottom lines."

加拿大连续第二年成为LEED排名第一的国家。加拿大政府将建筑列为该国第四大温室气体排放原因，按行业计算，建筑占该国总排放量的12%。自2005年以来，加拿大建筑行业的排放量一直在下降，尽管人口在增加，全国建筑存量也在增加。考虑到加拿大的气候及其在严冬期间的强烈供暖需求，能源使用量的减少表明了对改变国家建筑环境的坚定承诺，以促进更健康、更可持续的未来。

"At a time when the world needs real leadership to solve the problems facing us all, Canadian business leaders, policymakers and consumers have turned to LEED to show the international community what we can do at the local level to promote real, substantive change," said Rick Fedrizzi, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. "It is always encouraging to see highly developed nations such as Canada rally around the idea that increased sustainability does not need to come at the expense of a high standard of living, and that making this type of commitment actually enhances national well being."

The 10 countries that made the list for 2015 are geographically and culturally diverse, representing seven of the world's 20 largest single-nation economies by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (China, Germany, Brazil, India, Canada, South Korea and Turkey), as well as six of the top 11 emitters of greenhouse gases (China, India, Germany, South Korea, Canada and Brazil).

The analysis used to develop the list ranks countries in terms of gross square meters and numbers of commercial and institutional LEED projects to date (LEED Homes were not included in the ranking). LEED-certified spaces use less energy and water resources, save money for families, businesses and taxpayers, reduce carbon emissions and create a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community. The United States, the birthplace of LEED, is not included in this list but remains the world's largest market for LEED. The U.S. is the world's largest economy by GDP as well as the world's second largest emitter of greenhouse gases.

The ranking is as follows:

  1. Canada
  2. China
  3. India
  4. Brazil
  5. Republic of Korea
  6. German
  7. Taiwan
  8. United Arab Emirates
  9. Turkey
  10. Sweden

A further breakdown of Canada's LEED-certified projects shows strong growth across the country, with Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta leading the way:

  1. Quebec
  2. British Columbia
  3. Alberta
  4. Nova Scotia
  5. Manitoba
  6. Saskatchewan
  7. New Brunswick
  8. Newfoundland and Labrador
  9. Prince Edward Island
  10. Yukon
  11. Northwest Territories
  12. Nunavut

每天有近17.2万GSM空间通过LEED认证，目前有超过69800个商业和机构项目代表12.3亿GSM空间参与绿色建筑评级体系。另有76,500个住宅单元获得了LEED住宅认证。LEED项目现已遍布全球150多个国家和地区。

LEED's international popularity is reflective of the exponential growth occurring within the global green building industry. Increasing consumer demand has pushed the world's green building marketto $260 billion in 2013, and this industry surge has led to a corresponding increase in the scope and size of the green building materials market, which is expected to reach$234 billion by 2019. Internationally renowned landmarks as diverse as the Empire State Building, the Maracanã Stadium and Taipei 101 are now LEED-certified spaces that illustrate the impact that sustainable construction and design are having on our shared culture.Every day, nearly 172,000 GSM of space is certified using LEED, and there are currently more than 69,800 commercial and institutional projects representing 1.23 billion GSM of space participating in the green building rating system. An additional 76,500 residential units have been certified under LEED for Homes. LEED projects can now be found in more than 150 countries and territories across the world.

A sample of notable projects that certified in Canada in 2014 include:

  • Vancouver, British Columbia: Van Dusen Botanical Garden, LEED Platinum
  • St. John, New Brunswick: The City of St. John Police Headquarters, LEED Gold
  • Toronto, Ontario: WaterPark Place, LEED Platinum (first Canadian project to earn LEED Platinum through the CaGBC's recertification program)
  • Calgary, Alberta: Bow Valley Square, LEED Gold
  • Quebec City, Quebec: Place TELUS / TELUS House, LEED Gold

Support for LEED is widespread in Canada, with a highly diverse array of companies and organizations using the green building rating system to further their human health and environmental sustainability agendas. There are currently 1600 CaGBC members and 174 USGBC member organizations in Canada representing industries such as product manufacturing, building construction, retail, real estate, education, the non-profit sector and other professional services. There are also 11,346 LEED credential holders in Canada, the largest number of LEED professionals existing outside of the United States.

Media Contact CaGBC:
Renée Rietveld
Manager, Communications and Media Relations, CaGBC
613-288-8075

Media Contact USGBC:
Marisa Long
Communications Director, USGBC
202-552-1500

LEED Canada

About the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC)

The CaGBC is the leading national industry organization advancing green building and sustainable community development practices. We work closely with our member organizations who are involved in the design, construction and operation of buildings and homes in an effort to make every building greener. The CaGBC reduces environmental impacts from the built environment through education/training, building certification, advocacy and information sharing. The CaGBC is the license holder for the LEED green building rating system in Canada. In addition to LEED, the CaGBC also supports the Living Building Challenge, WELL Standard, Passive House Standard and EcoDistricts in Canada, and oversees the Canada Coalition for Green Schools.

About the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)

美国绿色建筑委员会(USGBC)致力于通过具有成本效益和节能的绿色建筑来实现繁荣和可持续的未来。美国绿色建筑委员会通过其LEED绿色建筑项目、强大的教育服务、全国性的分会和附属机构网络、年度绿色建筑国际会议和博览会、绿色学校中心以及支持鼓励和使绿色建筑和社区成为可能的公共政策的倡导来实现其市场转型的使命。

* The United States was not officially named to this list, but it remains the world's largest market for green building.

Learn aboutenergy-efficient home upgradesand otherGreen building certification programssuch asNet Zero labelled homesandPassive Housethat maymake your home qualify for tax rebates and incentives, all in theEcohome green building guide pages.