Energy Efficiency  -  September 1, 2017

Washington D.C. is world's 1st LEED Platinum city

As more and more U.S. cities and state accelerate efforts toward sustainability, Washington, D.C., on Aug. 31 announced it has been named the first LEED Platinum certified city in the world.  

The certification from the U.S. Green Building Council's cities program was recently presented to Mayor Muriel Bowser at the District's Dunbar High School, which is the highest rated LEED certified school in the country, according to a news release from the mayor's office. LEED for Cities was launched last year, and enables cities to measure and communicate performance, focusing on outcomes from ongoing sustainability efforts across an array of metrics, including energy, water, waste, transportation, and human experience (which includes education, prosperity, equity and health & safety). 

“It is in the best interest of Washington, D.C.'s safety, economy, and future to take sustainability and resiliency seriously, and as the nation's capital, we have a special obligation to lead the way on environmental issues," Mayor Bowser said in a statement. "We are proud to be recognized as the world's first LEED Platinum city. Our commitment to these issues will not yield, and we look forward to continuing to build a greener, more resilient, and more sustainable D.C."

The city's LEED Platinum certification recognizes the outcomes of the city’s leadership in creating a sustainable and resilient built environment, which includes: reducing greenhouse gas emissions, supporting clean energy innovation, and focusing on inclusive prosperity and livability in all eight wards.

"Washington, D.C. is setting the bar for smart cities all around the world by leveraging technology and data to achieve sustainability and resiliency goals, creating healthy and safe communities where citizens can thrive," Mahesh Ramanujam, President and CEO at USGBC said. "Mayor Bowser and the city are once again showing that our nation's capital is performing at the highest levels and that its buildings, neighborhoods and communities are as sustainable as possible." 

As the District looks to achieve the goals of its Sustainable DC Plan — which has a goal of making D.C. the "healthiest, greenest and most livable city in the U.S. by 2032 — and the targets of the Paris Climate Accord, tracking and improving upon the city's progress is essential. As part of achieving these goals, under Smarter DC, the Office of the Chief Technology Officer works to develop more open access to data and LEED for Cities will be a valuable tool in these efforts.

Share this valuable information with your colleagues using the buttons below: