Green building is big business these days and it’s expected to account for 1/3 of all construction projects in the United States by the year 2018. LEED, being the poster child for green construction and the world’s most widely used green building rating system, is expected to directly contribute to 386,000 jobs by 2018, as well. Though green building is a concept used significantly throughout the world, as seen in projects like the world’s first zero energy hotel, the United States absolutely dominates the industry with respect to LEED.

Because of the US’s dominance in the category, their recent ranking of the top 10 countries for LEED ignored the US all together. The US actually has more total gross square meters and number of LEED projects than the top 10 countries on the list combined, by almost 3 times, totaling 336.84 million gross square meters over 27,699 LEED projects!

"By recognizing these leading countries, we are showcasing the exponential growth of LEED in the global marketplace and an international commitment to the creation of a sustainable built environment," said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO, USGBC in a press release. "As we pursue a worldwide effort to mitigate climate change, LEED and the green building industry have created a path forward for market transformation while changing the way we think about how buildings, communities and cities are planned, constructed, maintained and operated."

The Top 10 Countries for LEED (excluding the United States):

1. China

Gross Square Meters (in millions): 34.62

Number of Projects: 931

2. Canada

Gross Square Meters (in millions): 34.39

Number of Projects: 2,586

3. India

Gross Square Meters (in millions): 15.90

Number of Projects: 644

4. Brazil

Gross Square Meters (in millions): 7.43

Number of Projects: 380

5. Republic of Korea

Gross Square Meters (in millions): 5.95

Number of Projects: 97

6. Taiwan

Gross Square Meters (in millions): 5.66

Number of Projects: 99

7. Germany

Gross Square Meters (in millions): 5.03

Number of Projects: 215

8. Turkey

Gross Square Meters (in millions): 4.78

Number of Projects: 191

9. Sweden

Gross Square Meters (in millions): 3.88

Number of Projects: 210

10. United Arab Emirates

Gross Square Meters (in millions): 3.64

Number of Projects: 18

More Information: Infographic: Top 10 Countries for LEED in 2016 | USGB

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