WASHINGTON—The United States Green Building Council says the District of Columbia is far ahead of all 50 states when it comes to environmentally friendly buildings.
The council said Friday that the nation’s capital has 31.5 square feet per capita of building space that’s certified for energy efficiency, sustainability and other factors. The certification is known as LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
The district has more than 11 times as much LEED-certified space as the highest-ranking state, Colorado. The council says the district’s compact geography is a major reason why it outranks the states by such a large margin. But it also credits the leadership of the federal and local governments.
Mayor Vincent Gray says the ranking is a tribute to the city’s sustainability efforts.
