The city of Atlanta announced on Tuesday that it had achieved LEED Silver certification, becoming the 100th city or community to do so under the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED for Cities and Communities program. The designation is a recognition of the city’s efforts in sustainability, human health and economic prosperity. It will not only help measure and manage the city’s performance, but it will help to raise awareness among residents, visitors and business owners.
“As we work to become a more equitable city, we must take a close look at the serious impact that sustainability has on our residents’ quality of life,” said Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. “Atlanta is proud to have earned LEED Silver certification, in recognition of our commitment to being a more green, healthy, and resilient city. And in true Atlanta fashion, and to have with it the milestone of being the 100th city to earn this designation, is another example of our city breaking barriers, crossing milestones and making progress the Atlanta way.”
The certification looks at an array of metrics, including energy, water, waste, transportation, and human experience (which includes education, prosperity, equity and health & safety). The announcement was made at the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, which happened to be at the Georgia World Congress Center this year. The event lasts all week and features 200 sessions, tours, workshops and other educational opportunities. Wednesday morning will feature a high profile speaker, former President Barack Obama.
“Atlanta is showing the world that through sustainability, cities and communities can take meaningful steps toward improving the standard of living for all residents,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, President and CEO, U.S. Green Building Council. “Through LEED, the City is prioritizing efforts that are not only good for the planet, but good for people too. It is also an honor to recognize Atlanta as the 100th LEED certified city and we celebrate that milestone as the city hosts us for this year’s Greenbuild conference. Atlanta’s LEED certification will also inspire other cities and communities to strive for a more sustainable future.”
The news comes on the heels of Atlanta appointing a new Chief Sustainability Officer, Shelby Buso, who most recently served as the Director of Community Advancement and Market Transformation for the USGBC. She is no stranger to Atlanta though, as he led the Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge while Director of Sustainability for Central Atlanta Progress, the downtown Atlanta economic development group.
“I am honored to continue the work of making Atlanta a sustainability leader in the Southeast region,” said Shelby Busó. “Every day our environment and residents are counting on us to take action and further focus on building a stronger and more livable city. I am thrilled to join the City of Atlanta to advance those efforts.”
