Recent developments in the nation’s capital related to support for addressing climate change and improving sustainability in general have led to questions and uncertainty. But one indicator of the ongoing support for sustainability among institutional and commercial facilities offers positive signs for continued efforts to address the challenges.
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) recently announced the top 10 states for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) in 2025, recognizing the states with the most LEED-certified commercial space per capita in the last year. While office buildings and higher education projects remain strong sectors in LEED adoption, innovation-focused sectors — life sciences, data centers, and advanced manufacturing — are fueling notable growth in several top states.
For the second consecutive year, Massachusetts held onto the top spot while Illinois remained in second place in the annual ranking. Colorado climbed six spots to third place while Georgia cracked into the top 10 states for LEED the first time since 2023.
The top 10 states are Massachusetts, Illinois, Colorado, New York, Virginia, Washington, California, Maryland, Nevada and Georgia.
Recertifications also help raise performance in existing buildings, signaling a market-wide commitment to continuous improvement and high performance in the built environment.
Dan Hounsell is senior editor for the facilities market. He has more than 30 years of experience writing about facilities maintenance, engineering and management.
