In 2023, over 93 million square feet were LEED-certified in New York. 

For the second straight year, New York continues to be recognized as a leader in sustainability, ranking first in the Top 10 States for LEED. In 2023, New York added over 93 million square feet of LEED-certified space, comprising 201 projects. With just over 20.2 million residents, this brings the state in at 4.63 square feet of LEED-certified building space per resident. USGBC is excited to see continued support for LEED and to invest more in the growth of green building in New York.

Notable LEED projects certified in 2023 in New York included:

• Bank of America–Bryant Park (LEED Platinum)
• Turner Construction headquarters and New York office (LEED Platinum)
• David Rockefeller Creative Arts Center (LEED Platinum)
• Rockland Home for Heroes (LEED Platinum)

Green workforce development is an increasingly critical topic for the building industry and a priority for USGBC in 2024. Meeting our ambitious goals for emissions reduction and resilience will require both equipping current industry professionals with new skills and attracting and training future workers.

New York City has proven to be a leader in decarbonization efforts, for instance with Local Law 97 (LL97). In 2019, the city enacted enacted the law as a part of the Climate Mobilization Act. Showing the city’s leadership in sustainability, LL97 sets forth criteria that drastically reduce emissions over time through the phased implementation of carbon caps on large buildings. This stringent and highly ambitious law aims to cut emissions from these buildings by 40% by 2030 and to net zero carbon by 2050. View Urban Green’s Local Law 97 page for more.

Through partnerships, USGBC is striving to transform the industry. In November 2023, for example, USGBC and Urban Green Council held a partner event, "Workforce Solutions for Decarbonizing Buildings," that featured a new analysis, "LL97 in Focus: Jumpstarting Multifamily Building Upgrades." The analysis gave context to what energy upgrades will mean for the workforce and was followed by a panel discussion. Speakers included Peter Templeton, president and CEO of USGBC and GBCI, as well as many other leaders in the region.

A number of forces have combined to help New York lead the charge for greening the built environment, from strengthening energy codes to improving incentives. USGBC member companies from a variety of sectors continue to be at forefront of the LEED movement, including Turner Construction Company, WSP, Tishman Speyer and MetLife.

The national need for programs and initiatives to educate, train and connect skilled workers with businesses is growing. This need is perhaps even more pressing in the field of green building, as sustainable practices are becoming more the norm and our technology continues to advance. Mark your calendar to join us as we continue the conversation on workforce development at our second U.S. Market Insight Summit in September.

USGBC New York Upstate has some exciting programming for 2024: Sign up for notifications through our newsletter. There are numerous opportunities to get involved with the community, too. Consider becoming an annual sponsor or volunteering with USGBC New York Upstate.

Read more at U.S. Green Building Council