Eighty percent of respondents cite LEED, the world’s premier green building program, as key way to communicate corporate sustainability efforts to stakeholders

Washington, D.C. (April 7, 2015) – The world’s top-performing companies are prioritizing sustainability as part of their corporate social responsibility efforts, and a majority of them are using LEED, the world’s premier green building program, to achieve their goals, according to a new survey released today by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The study looked at Fortune 200 companies, most of them users of LEED and members of USGBC.

“We launched LEED 15 years ago so that the world’s leading businesses would have a tool that would deliver the immediate, measureable results they need to prove that what is good for the environment is also good for the bottom line,” said Rick Fedrizzi, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. “This survey demonstrates how successful we’ve been in helping link profit to planet and why LEED continues to be the market leader, certifying 1.85 million square feet of commercial space every day.”

The survey, LEED and the Corporate Built Environment, showed:

82 percent of survey respondents from Fortune 200 companies are likely to continue using LEED over the next three years for new construction or retrofit projects
60 percent of surveyed companies believe LEED positively impacts their return on investment (ROI)
70 percent stated they pursue LEED as a means to save money by being more energy efficient
80 percent agree that LEED is a key way their company communicates sustainability efforts to stakeholders

Of the respondents, which encompassed 48 of the Fortune 200 companies, 96 percent use LEED to support their sustainability efforts. Nearly all (93 percent) reported that demonstrating a commitment to the environment motivates their company to use LEED.

LEED, or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, is redefining the way we think about the places where we live, work, learn, play and worship. As an internationally recognized mark of excellence, LEED provides building owners and operators with a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.

LEED is the most widely used green building rating system in the world, with nearly 30,000 LEED certified commercial buildings in more than 150 countries and territories globally. LEED-certified buildings offer lower operating costs and better indoor environmental quality, making them attractive to a growing group of corporate, public and individual buyers. High-performing building features increasingly enter into tenants' decisions about leasing space and into buyers' decisions about purchasing properties and homes.

USGBC partnered with Keybridge LLC to produce this survey, which was targeted at executives in charge of building operations or corporate sustainability efforts. The survey was conducted between January and March 2015. A majority of respondents were USGBC members.

New Survey Shows Top Companies Prioritize Global Green Building Rating System LEED