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Two US Cities Earn Platinum LEED Certification

Chicago, IL,and San Jose, CA, have achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum Certification, the highest level of certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, Smart Cities Dive reports.

San Jose received recognition for three projects: a zero-waste strategy, a new transit metric, and a climate plan to reduce air pollution and save water. Chicago was recognized for its ordinance requiring large buildings to report energy use, its commitment to using 100 percent renewable energy in all municipal facilities, and its upcoming energy rating system for large properties in the city.

The LEED for Cities program was launched in 2016 and enables cities to benchmark and communicate performance from ongoing sustainability initiatives. Washington, D.C., and Phoenix, AZ, were the first two U.S. cities to reach Platinum status.

Earlier in the year, Chicago was named the greenest U.S. city, according to the fifth annual U.S. Green Building Adoption Index.