| HOUSTON – The City of Houston is proud to announce its Gold designation by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Cities. This recognition is a milestone achievement of the Houston Climate Action Plan which implements specific efforts and preventative measures to address the negative outcomes of climate change. Houston joins more than 125 local governments that have achieved LEED for Cities certification and nearly 200 that are in the LEED process.
To earn the Gold distinction, LEED for Cities evaluated Houston’s performance on energy, water, waste, transportation, education, health, safety, and equitable outcomes. Houston was awarded 66 out of 110 possible points. The highest rating is Platinum, which requires a score of at least 80. The rating system applies to everything within city limits, not only city operations.
“The City of Houston is proud to recertify Gold under the LEED for Cities rating system. It demonstrates our ongoing commitment to building a more sustainable and resilient future for all Houstonians,” remarks Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. “Houston has faced an unprecedented number of climate challenges in recent years and LEED for Cities helps us build a framework that develops and advances many initiatives related to climate change, resilience, and equity.”
Created by the USGBC, LEED is the world’s most widely used green building rating system. LEED for Cities provides a framework specifically for local governments to credibly track progress towards overall sustainability and resilience goals while supporting benchmarking and comparison with other communities around the world.
“Houston’s LEED certification demonstrates tremendous sustainability and climate leadership,” says Peter Templeton, president and CEO, USGBC. “Houston is a prime example of how innovative planning and collaboration can help achieve sustainability and resilience goals.” |
