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Houston Earns LEED Gold Certification for Sustainability and Resilience Achievements

May 18, 2023 -- The City of Houston is proud to announce its Gold designation by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Cities. This recognition is a milestone achievement of the Houston Climate Action Plan which implements specific efforts and preventative measures to address the negative outcomes of climate change. Houston joins more than 125 local governments that have achieved LEED for Cities certification and nearly 200 that are in the LEED process.

To earn the Gold distinction, LEED for Cities evaluated Houston’s performance on energy, water, waste, transportation, education, health, safety, and equitable outcomes. Houston was awarded 66 out of 110 possible points. The highest rating is Platinum, which requires a score of at least 80. The rating system applies to everything within city limits, not only city operations.

Created by the USGBC, LEED is the world’s most widely used green building rating system. LEED for Cities provides a framework specifically for local governments to credibly track progress towards overall sustainability and resilience goals while supporting benchmarking and comparison with other communities around the world.

“Houston’s LEED certification demonstrates tremendous sustainability and climate leadership,” says Peter Templeton, president and CEO, USGBC. “Houston is a prime example of how innovative planning and collaboration can help achieve sustainability and resilience goals.”

About the Resilience & Sustainability Office
The Resilience & Sustainability Office is responsible for implementing Resilient Houston and the Houston Climate Action Plan (CAP). Together, these documents provide a clear framework to foster the growth of a Houston that is both a healthy place to live, as well as an equitable, inclusive, and affordable city that leads in climate mitigation and adaptation and offers a transformative economy that builds forward. To learn more about the CAP or Resilient Houston, visit www.greenhoustontx.gov.

About the U.S. Green Building Council
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. USGBC works toward its mission of market transformation through its LEED green building program, robust educational offerings, an international network of local community leaders, the annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, the Center for Green Schools and advocacy in support of public policy that encourages and enables green buildings and communities. For more information, visit usgbc.org and connect on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Click Here for USGBC Scorecard (.pdf)