SEATTLE, WA — Establishing a sustainable building policy, Mayor Paul Schell announced that all public buildings in Seattle will be built to meet at least the silver level of LEED™, the green building rating system from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

“Our goal is for city facilities to become models of sustainable environmental stewardship and healthy worker environments,” said Schell. “Using the LEED rating system provides a common language for defining sustainability and allows us to move forward on our goal of constructing sustainable buildings far more quickly.”

Steven Winter, president of Steven Winter Associates and chairman of the USGBC board, called Seattle’s action “a landmark occasion for putting green buildings on the map.”

Noted Schell, “While we all share responsibility for protecting the environment, government does have a special role. We can make this change happen.”