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City Of Las Vegas Named LEED Gold Community And Recognized For Sustainability Achievements
Las Vegas Continues To Set The Pace With Sustainability
The city of Las Vegas has achieved LEED Gold certification in recognition of its work to build a sustainable community. The city is part of a growing group to be certified using the LEED for Cities and Communities rating system. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, was created by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and is the world’s most widely used green building rating system.
“We continue to lead the way with our efforts to have a sustainable city that meets the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations,” Mayor Carolyn G. Goodman said. “We are proud to be recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council and we will continue to incorporate sustainability into everything we do to ensure an outstanding quality of life for generations to come.”
The city achieved LEED certification for implementing practical and measurable
strategies and solutions aimed at improving sustainability and the standard of living for residents. LEED is designed to help buildings, communities and cities achieve high performance in key areas of human and environmental health.
The city’s efforts have been a result of foundational policy and continuous progress since 2006, when former Mayor Oscar B. Goodman signed the U.S. Conference of Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement. In 2008, the City Council set goals and targets to increase our renewable energy production and reduce our emissions by adopting a sustainable energy strategy.
Some accomplishments include:
- Completion of six megawatts of solar collection installations;
- Replacement of 42,000 streetlights with LED lighting;
- LEED certified buildings, including Las Vegas City Hall;
- More than 500 miles of bike lanes;
- Increased recycling rates at city facilities; and
- Reduced water usage.
Energy savings from these efforts save the city $5 million annually. They also led to a positive effect on the community -- the city’s carbon footprint is the size today that it was in 1950, despite an unprecedented population boom since then.
NV Energy. This allowed 100 percent of the city’s retail energy load to be served by renewable energy. Every public building, park, and streetlight is served by renewable energy, making the city of Las Vegas the first large municipality running 100 percent renewable.
Las Vegas joins a global network of more than 100 LEED-certified cities and communities.
“The work of cities and communities such as Las Vegas is a driving force in ensuring a more sustainable future for all,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO, USGBC. “Cities and communities that achieve LEED certification are lowering carbon emissions, creating a healthier environment and striving to improve the quality of life for their residents. Las Vegas is setting a standard for what it means to be a high performer and their efforts and achievements should be an example for all.”
Bank of America provided financial assistance, resources, and technical support in collaboration with USGBC for the city and other communities as part of the 2019 LEED for Cities cohort.
“As a nationally recognized leader in environmental sustainability, Las Vegas continues to achieve a truly notable milestone for sustainability and environmental resiliency by becoming a LEED Gold-certified city,” said Al Welch, Bank of America Las Vegas market president. “Bank of America’s support of USGBC’s LEED for Cities initiative is part of our larger capital deployment commitment to address climate change and build resilience in communities like Southern Nevada.”
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About the U.S. Green Building Council: The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. USGBC works toward its mission of market transformation through its LEED green building program, robust educational offerings, an international network of local community leaders, the annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, the Center for Green Schools and advocacy in support of public policy that encourages and enables green buildings and communities. For more information, visit usgbc.org and connect on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
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