GBCI Report Says Europe is Ready for Greater Use of LEED v4

BELGRADE, Serbia — LEED continues to expand in Europe, according to the latest 2016 LEED in Motion: Europe report, released earlier this month at the USGBC’s Green Building EXPO International Exhibition & Conference in Belgrade.

Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), the organization that certifies all projects participating in the LEED green building rating system, released the report, stating that Europe is ready for greater adoption of LEED v4, the newest and (as of Oct. 31, 2016) only version of the rating system for which a project can be registered. The report also featured detailed plans developed by green building leaders in Europe that demonstrate how projects can comply with these sustainable standards.

“Europe plays an important role for the future of the entire green building movement, particularly when it comes to the existing buildings market,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, COO for USGBC and president for GBCI, in a statement. “GBCI is increasing its local capacity in Europe and providing new tools for the European building community to integrate LEED into all project types, not only for new construction, but also for renovations and retrofits.”

The report also highlights the successes in applying green building techniques throughout Europe and even stronger year-over-year growth in the use of LEED. Europe now has more than 4,300 projects participating in LEED, 95 million square feet of LEED-certified space and more than 2,400 LEED professionals, according to the report.

“I love LEED v4 for its increased rigor, transparency and its strong emphasis on performance,” said Marija Golubovic, president of ENERGO Group and chairwoman of the Green Building EXPO International Exhibition and Conference, in a statement. “Europe is definitely ready for LEED v4. We see a very positive effort in the market through product manufacturers and service providers around [LEED] v4, which will facilitate ease and even greater adoption of LEED across Europe.”

The report is the latest in a series of reports from GBCI to help create a more holistic approach for the green building movement in international markets.