USGBC has announced its annual list of the Top 10 States for LEED in 2016, recognizing them for leading the way in sustainable building design, construction and transformation. Together, these states certified 309.12 million gross square feet of space and are at the forefront of the evolving green building movement. This per capita list is based on 2010 Census data and includes commercial and institutional green building projects that were certified last year. Why is this important? As a member of the NRMCA, if you are pursuing or bidding on construction projects in these states, you will most likely come across a LEED project, specifically the new LEED v4. Although this Top 10 list looks backward, it informs concrete producers of the likelihood for bidding on future building projects. Also, it provides opportunities to engage local USGC chapters to network and identify upcoming projects.

According to NRMCA's Concrete’s Contribution to LEED v4, concrete can influence 74 of the 110 points available. With the advent of product transparency in rating systems such as LEED and other green building standards, demand for third-party validated reports such as environmental product declarations (EPD), responsible sourcing reports and health product declarations (HPD) has increased. NRMCA has developed a series of tools and guides to help members meet these new requirements.

 

As part of the Build with Strength campaign, NRMCA promotes Strength Through Transparency for member and industry competitiveness in the green building marketplace and the trends toward product and company transparency.