Over 1,200 companies and groups are
urging the General Services Administration to continue using LEED as the
standard for energy efficiency.
The businesses and organizations
that signed a July 25 letter to the GSA said the standard has improved
the sustainability of federal buildings, citing a study that said investments
in efficiency are predicted to save up to $18 billion in life-cycle energy
costs.
The Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design building-rating system certifies structures for
sustainable construction and efficiency.
“Our nation's top private-sector leaders agree: The LEED high-performance
building rating system saves businesses money and helps deliver higher profits
through reduced operating costs,” said Roger Platt, senior vice president of global
policy and law with the U.S. Green Building Council, which created LEED. “The
same is true for LEED federal facilities, which are saving American taxpayers
millions of dollars a year.”
Companies that signed the letter include Skanska, Tishman Speyer and Kohler
Co.
"Support for the continued use of LEED by GSA is both broad and deep,”
Platt added. “Our more than 13,000 member companies are fully engaged in the
development and use of LEED. Businesses and organizations are certifying 2
million square feet of real estate to LEED each day. Clearly there is
incredible agreement on the value of LEED and green building in general.”