by Brianna Crandall — August 31, 2015—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) recently released LEED in Motion: Brazil, a report showing significant gains in the green building market in Brazil and year-over-year growth in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifications in the country. The report was released in conjunction with the GreenBuilding Brasil International Conference and Expo, considered South America’s premier green building conference, which was hosted by the Brazilian green building industry this month.
“Building with LEED certification has helped Brazil grow its green economy. We’re proud of the fact that the boom in green building has successfully sparked this multiplier effect across the country’s economy,” said Roger Platt, president, USGBC. “As the international standard in sustainable design and green building, LEED helps enterprising Brazilian companies attract new sources of foreign direct investment, increase the competitiveness of their real estate portfolio, and position themselves as leaders in the green economy of the future.”
Buildings account for 30 percent or more of total carbon emissions, and many countries look to building retrofits to reduce their footprint and spur job creation. Last month, USGBC announced that Brazil is in the top five countries for LEED green building. Brazil has moved up in the annual ranking of the Top 10 Countries for LEED—an international ranking intended to celebrate the countries and regions outside of the USA that have shown leadership in the green building industry through wide-scale adoption of LEED.
Brazil received widespread international praise last year as the nation with the largest drop in greenhouse gas emissions in the world. Based on this commendable track record and its position as a global leader in green building, Brazil is poised to enter the U.N.’s COP 21 climate negotiations in Paris later this year as a model of sustainable economic development.
There are more than 1,000 projects participating in LEED and approximately 24.5 million gross square meters (GSM) of LEED-certified space in Brazil. Brazil’s increasingly prominent green building industry carries regional significance due to the country’s position as South America’s economic anchor. The steady rise of LEED in Brazil, even in the face of what is currently a challenging economic environment in the country, is poised to bolster green building in neighboring countries, notes USGBC.
“We are very proud and optimistic for the future of LEED green building in Brazil based on the diversity of project types that are now certifying across the country,” said Felipe Faria, executive director, Green Building Council Brasil. “LEED certification has become more popular for all types of projects, from commercial buildings, industrial plants and shopping centers to retail stores, schools, public buildings, homes and sporting venues. These projects represent a diverse group of private and public stakeholders, associations and NGOs that are engaged in a collaborative effort aimed at promoting green building practices, and we believe that this positive atmosphere will accelerate the transformation that must take place.”
As noted in the report, USGBC has a strong membership base in Brazil, and a growing number of companies and organizations in the country are looking to the popular green building rating system as a means of demonstrating their commitment to social responsibility, broadening their environmental sustainability agenda and bolstering their economic competiveness. There are also more than 270 LEED professionals in Brazil.
