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.
The city achieved LEED certification for implementing practical and measurable strategies and solutions aimed at improving sustainability and the standard of living for residents.
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.
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.
