Chicago once again is the greenest city in the land, according to the U.S. Green Building Adoption Index, a study by CBRE Group and Maastricht University. Based on the number of LEED and Energy Star certified buildings, Chicago’s percentage of green offices stands at 70 percent, up from 66 percent from last year. That represents 1,435 buildings with more than 236.5 million square feet of space. San Francisco is second at 64 percent of its space certified green, and Atlanta is third at 58 percent.
Overall, in the 30 areas studied, more than 4,700 buildings are now green certified, either LEED or Energy Star. That is 41 percent of the total square footage in those big cities. That represents the highest total in the five-year history of the study.
It is no surprise that Chicago is the greenest, given its goal of 100 percent renewable energy by 2025 and its own green rating system based on its energy benchmarking ordinance.
“This national recognition is a testament to the progress and success of our efforts to improve our environment while bettering communities across Chicago,” says Rahm Emmanuel, Chicago’s mayor.
This Quick Read was submitted by Greg Zimmerman, executive editor, Building Operating Management. Read his recent story about the new LEED v4.1 rating system.
