LEED Certified Buildings

You may have or may not have heard the term “LEED certified building”. With so much focus on our environment and climate change, there has been substantial focus placed on building environmentally friendly buildings through the use of environmentally friendly building processes that promote sustainability. 

 Consider the following facts (sourced from www.cagbc.org):

·         35% of all greenhouse gases are generated by buildings

·         35% of landfill waste is from demolition and construction activities

·         70% of municipal water is consumed in and around buildings

 LEED stands for “Leadership in Energy and Environment Design” and is a rating system which is recognized throughout 150 countries. The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) and LEED Canada are reinventing the communities and buildings  that Canadians call home.

 LEED is a successful design concept and process as it ensures that the sustainability of a building is always put first throughout the design, construction and operation of all LEED certified buildings. There have been over 1,800 LEED certified buildings in Canada since 2004. With over 5,000 registered LEED certified buildings, Canada has the second highest number in the world.

 CLICK HERE to watch a video explaining LEED. 

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 Below are some interesting LEED facts and milestones: 

• Since 2005, LEED Canada has led to energy savings of 1,600,321 eMWh which is enough to power 54,307 homes in Canada for a full year. 

• Recycling over 2 million tonnes of construction/demolition waste which represents 639,642 garbage trucks 

• A 312,006 c02e tonne reduction in greenhouse gas emissions which equals to taking 58,980 cars off the roads for a year 

• Installing 100,239 sq meters of green roofs, or an area the size of 66 NHL hockey rinks, to reduce the urban heat island effect and mitigate storm water flows in urban areas 

• Water savings totalling over 3.3 billion lietres, the equivalent of 1,336 Olympic sized swimming pools

Toronto is home to a large number of LEED certified buildings.

CLICK HERE to view a map of Toronto’s LEED certified buildings.

CLICK HERE to see 6 Toronto buildings with LEED platinum certification