San Francisco has announced the adoption of a Green Building Ordinance, which requires that all new projects, including city-owned facilities and leaseholds, achieve a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

The LEED Green Building Rating System, developed by the USGBC, is the only nationally recognized green building rating system. LEED evaluates the performance of buildings from a "whole building" perspective, over the course of a building's lifecycle, which provides a definitive standard for what constitutes a green building.

San Francisco's Green Building Ordinance will apply to all new city construction projects, renovations and building additions. San Francisco joins nine other cities that have adopted green building ordinances requiring LEED. "The City's adoption of LEED Silver standards in their ordinance demonstrates San Francisco's exemplary commitment to green building," said USGBC President, CEO & Founding Chair Rick Fedrizzi. "We look forward to more cities following their leadership."

Under this ordinance, municipal buildings will need to follow green building design principles, which will help to create healthy workplaces, increase energy productivity, protect the environment and save the City millions in funds. "This Green Building Ordinance will translate into millions in savings on future operational costs for new city buildings. The ordinance is good for the City and will help improve the health of our environment and the wellbeing of the thousands of employees that continue to provide services for this community," explains Jared Blumenfeld, director of the San Francisco Department of the Environment.