According to CBRE's 2017 National Green Building Adoption Index, which ranks 30 of the largest commercial office markets in the U.S. by the share of green-certified square footage, 38% of all office space in the nation's largest markets were LEED and/or ENERGY STAR certified as of 2016.
This is a slight increase from the 37% reported in 2015, but a huge jump from 2005, when less than 5% of office space was certified. The study excluded buildings and square footage of any office that failed to renew certifications after five years.
The study reported that 22 cities, the District of Columbia, two counties, and two states have implemented laws requiring privately owned buildings to disclose annual energy consumption and publish the resulting data. Most of these policies had not reached their full phase-in of reporting by January 2016, though.
Several cities have experienced an increase in the adoption of environmental building certification after passing benchmarking and transparency laws. After Kansas City’s Green Building Adoption measure was passed, certified green square footage jumped five percentage points, and Atlanta gained five points after adopting energy benchmarking and reporting regulations.
Related Stories
| Mar 8, 2012
Green buildings more resilient than conventionally built structures
A new study by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the University of Michigan’s Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning suggests that structures built to green standards can advance building resiliency.
| Mar 1, 2012
LEED Platinum standard likely to mean net-zero energy by 2018
As LEED standards continue to rise, the top level, LEED Platinum, will likely mean net-zero energy construction by 2018.
| Mar 1, 2012
EPA beefs up stormwater discharge rule from construction projects
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has now finalized its 2012 construction general permit (CGP) that authorizes stormwater discharges from construction projects that disturb one or more acres of land in the areas where EPA is the permitting authority.
| Mar 1, 2012
Regulators investigate structural failures during construction of two Ohio casinos
Regulators with the Occupational Safety & Health Administration and the city of Cincinnati are investigatingthe collapse of the second floor of Cincinnati's Horseshoe Casino as workers were pouring concrete.
| Mar 1, 2012
Is your project too small for LEED? Consider other green standards
There are many other recognized national, state and local programs that offer a variety of best management practices and sustainable design, construction and operating strategies.
| Mar 1, 2012
California bill aims to cut costs for commercial building energy retrofits
A bill in the California Assembly would allow the state to pool together property owners’ energy-retrofit loans.
| Feb 29, 2012
Carvalho appointed Shawmut Safety Director
He has been a driving force behind multiple safety-orientated initiatives at Shawmut, including Safety Week, the creation of an online safety manual, and the implementation of a new safety reporting and tracking system.
| Feb 23, 2012
Federal budget cuts put major building projects on hold
A plan to build the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Kansas is among several major building projects in jeopardy after the Obama administration’s 2013 budget was unveiled. The budget would cut all construction spending for the facility.
