Europe's First LEED Program Established in Italy

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and Green Building Council Italia
(GBC Italia) have partnered to advance
green building and promote carbon emissions reductions in Italy and
worldwide.

At the heart of the partnership, GBC Italia will be the first organization in the European Union to implement the LEED green building rating system. In the GBC Italia version of LEED, local standards and codes will be referenced, Italian-specific units will be incorporated, and alternative compliance paths will be provided as appropriate to account for regional variances and contexts.

The two groups signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that also agrees to sharing of tools, research and information around green building.

“Harnessing the strengths of partnerships around the world allows us to collectively make a difference in our built environment on a scale that otherwise would not be possible,” said Scot Horst, Senior Vice President of LEED, USGBC.

The LEED green building certification system is a leading program for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. Over 32,000 projects are currently participating in the commercial and institutional LEED rating systems, comprising over 9.6 billion square feet of construction space in all 50 U.S. states and 114 countries across the globe.

The green building industry is projected to contribute $554 billion to the US gross domestic product from 2009-2013.

GBC Italia is a member of World GBC, with more than 330 members, all leaders in different positions of Italian and international building sector. More than 70 projects are registered in Italy, and there are around 100 LEED Professional Credential holders.

Last week USGBc launched its first LEED standard for neighborhood development.