The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) established the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system in 2000 to assess buildings against key sustainability standards, including energy conservation, indoor air quality, use of recycled and recyclable materials, support for reduced-carbon commuting options and long-term sustainability. LEED is the most widely used third-party verification standard for green buildings in the Americas. Public buildings, especially office buildings and educational and governmental facilities, are among the most frequent participants in the LEED certification program.

LEED-certified buildings are resource efficient. They are designed to use less water and energy and emit fewer greenhouse gases in comparison to non-certified buildings. To obtain LEED certification, new buildings must be designed to minimize the environmental impacts of construction and operations. There are different rating systems and certification requirements according to the building type, use and age.

Prologis has been designing and developing LEED-certified buildings since 2006. In 2014, we partnered with the USGBC and M.E. Group to use the LEED Volume Program to more efficiently certify our development projects.

Created in 2011, the LEED Volume Program streamlines the certification process for high volume property owners by focusing on similarities in building design, delivery and operations. This prototype-based approach enables large-scale builders like Prologis to achieve consistency in green building improvements, while earning LEED certification faster and at a lower cost than would be possible with individual building reviews. Prologis is the first warehouse developer to participate in the LEED Volume Program.

All Prologis North American project managers are trained in LEED sustainable design standards, and many have become LEED-accredited professionals. Prologis, an industry leader in LEED certification, also has LEED-certified facilities in Brazil, Canada, China, France and Mexico.