The City of Atlanta has earned LEED Silver certification, becoming the 100th city or community to certify under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Cities and Communities program. This certification was granted in recognition of the City’s commitment to sustainability, human health and economic prosperity. It not only helps measure and manage the City’s current performance, but it educates residents, visitors, and business owners about the City’s progress and enables continuous improvement.
 
“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.”
 
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the most widely used green building rating system in the world and is designed to help buildings achieve high performance in key areas of human and environmental health. LEED for Cities and Communities enables cities to measure and communicate performance, focusing on outcomes from ongoing sustainability efforts across an array of metrics, including energy, water, waste, transportation, and human experience (which includes education, prosperity, equity and health & safety). LEED for Cities projects benchmark and track performance using Arc, a state-of-the-art digital platform that uses data to provide greater transparency into sustainability efforts and helps cities make more informed decisions.
 
“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 City of Atlanta is honored to receive LEED for Cities certification from the US Green Building Council,” said Shelby Buso, Chief Sustainability Officer for the City of Atlanta.  “This accomplishment reflects the vision of the Mayor and work of the Office of One Atlanta combining sustainability and equity for the benefit of our most vulnerable populations.”
 
The City of Atlanta is also proud to recognize City agency Hartsfield Jackson International Airport for achieving LEED for Communities certification at the Platinum level. Both the City of Atlanta and the Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson International Airport will be presented with LEED certificates during the LEED for Cities and Communities reception on November 19th at 5:30 PM. Atlanta will also welcome Greenbuild International Conference and Expo at the Georgia World Congress Center on November 19th - 20th, where President Barack Obama will serve as keynote.