By attaining LEED certification, your company’s buildings are virtually guar-
anteed to reduce their impact on the environment, increase their occupancy
rates, lower their operational costs, and, in all likelihood, increase in value.
As if that’s not enough, there’s a good chance that they will promote improved
employee productivity even as absenteeism is reduced. An overall surge
toward greater corporate social responsibility should also be among the list
of benefits you’ll begin to accrue:
The LEED standard has been adopted nationwide by federal agencies,
and by state and local governments; LEED’s ratings system and refer-
ence guide is the defining standard for building performance.
Many private companies are now acknowledging LEED as the industry
standard by which to measure how green their buildings are.
LEED provides a clearly defined methodology for creating green practices
and structures.
Following LEED enables companies to avoid the need to establish local
certification bodies.
It makes good sense.
It’s the right thing to do!
Here are some companies who own buildings that are now LEED certified:
Pfizer Toyota MTV Networks Comcast
Latin America
Bank of America Frito Lay GM PNC Bank
3M Bank of America Kimberly Clark Ford Motor
Company
Sun Comcast Liberty Property The New
Microsystems Trust York Times
FX Fowle Adobe Cisco SAP
The following list includes examples of tax credits with which organizations
have been rewarded for attaining LEED certification:
Baltimore County, MD: ten year tax credit.
Chatham County, GA: property tax abatement for first five years, which
then tapers off by 20 percent each year for the next five years thereafter.
Cincinnati, OH: 100 percent tax exception of assessed property value.
In Maryland, all capital projects greater than $5,000 must earn LEED cer-
tification; commercial developers receive tax credit for building green.
In Nevada, owners of LEED Silver Buildings receive tax abatements and
tax exemptions for products or materials used in their construction.
200 Part III: Going Green
