LEED© is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third- party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED© provides building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.

The concept of “green building” has launched into a popular topic in the build environment. All the while, the government is re-vamping regulations that will require commercial build sites to source products that are truly environmentally friendly.

Statistics have proven how the built environment has a significant impact on our environment - our natural surroundings, the economy, individual health and productivity. According to the United States Green Building Council, buildings in the United States account for:

• 72% of electricity consumption,

• 39% of energy use,

• 38% of all carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions,

• 40% of raw materials use,

• 30% of waste output (136 million tons annually), and

• 14% of potable water consumption.