LEED Gold mandate for federal buildings helps deliver on push for sustainability
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), who is in charge of managing all government owned and leased buildings, has upgraded the requirement for all new federal building construction and substantial renovation projects from LEED Silver to LEED Gold certification. This requirement will move the government’s federal inventory into a more sustainable future.
“Sustainable, better-performing federal buildings can significantly contribute to reducing the government's environmental footprint,” said Robert A. Peck, GSA's Commissioner of Public Buildings. “This new requirement is just one of the many ways we're greening the federal real estate by increasing sustainability and energy efficiency across government buildings.”
With more than 361 million square feet of space in 9,600 federally owned and leased facilities, GSA’s is working towards providing sustainable, healthier, more productive workspaces for federal employees.
For projects funded prior to 2010 that are in design, GSA is requiring that LEED Gold be incorporated into ongoing designs where possible, after considering budget and schedule constraints on the current design and construction contracts. Requirements for government new construction lease projects of 10,000 square feet or more will remain at the LEED Silver certification level. LEED certification for leases in existing buildings is optional.
