Top 10 Areas for LEED in 2017

USGBC's annual top 10 countries and regions for LEED recognizes markets outside the U.S. that are using LEED to create healthier, more sustainable spaces that work to improve quality of life.The list represents 6,657 LEED-certified projects totaling more than 158 million square meters of space globally and ranks countries and regions in terms of cumulative LEED-certified gross square meters as of Dec. 31, 2017.

According to the Dodge Data & Analytics World Green Building Trends 2016 SmartMarket Report, to which USGBC was a contributing partner, countries indicated that economic forces were the most important drivers for green building. The report also revealed that increasing consumer demand has pushed the world’s green building market to a trillion-dollar industry. This 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. LEED provides a framework for buildings, communities and cities to create highly efficient and cost-saving spaces, while also improving quality of life.

This year, China remained in the top spot, with more than 47 million gross square meters, and for the first time, Mexico appears on the Top 10 list, with more 5.6 million gross square meters.

Check out the infographic to see all the countries outside the U.S. that are LEED-ing the way.