Mexico. The US Green Building Council (USGBC) announced that Mexico ranks ninth in the world on its annual list of the top 10 countries and regions for LEED in 2021. The ranking highlights countries and regions outside the United States that are making significant strides in the health, design, construction, and operations of sustainable buildings.
Last year, Mexico certified a total of 47 LEED green building projects representing more than 955,000 gross square meters (GSM) of space. Over the years, Mexico has certified 531 LEED projects, totaling nearly 11 million GSM.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the most widely used green building classification system in the world and provides a framework for healthy, highly efficient and economical green buildings. It is developed by USGBC and managed by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) with the support of Sustainability for Mexico (SUMe).
"Mexico has a passionate and dedicated green building community and we are thrilled to see that the use of LEED continues to grow across the country," said Veronica Ibarra, executive director of SUMe and partner of GBCI Mexico. "We face significant climate and health challenges, and it is very important to address how we build and operate our buildings and spaces to improve the health of people and the planet."
Brazil is the other Latin American country to appear on the 2021 list and is ranked number seven. Both countries represent the growing international demand for LEED-certified green buildings that help reduce environmental impact and support health and well-being. The list ranks countries based on the total number of LEED-certified projects as of December 31, 2021. The US is not included in the list, but it remains the world's largest market for LEED with 26 million GSM-certified spaces in 2021. The complete classification is as follows:
| Ranking | Country / Region | Project Count | Square Feet | Square Meters |
| 1 | Mainland China | 1,077 | 152,325,125.75 | 14,151,480.95 |
| 2 | Canada | 205 | 34,530,920.95 | 3,208,030.63 |
| 3 | India | 146 | 30,337,364.12 | 2,818,436.08 |
| 4 | Republic of Korea | 42 | 16,768,269.12 | 1,557,824.68 |
| 5 | Spain | 100 | 16,107,100.54 | 1,496,400.05 |
| 6 | United Arab Emirates | 73 | 13,733,832.33 | 1,275,916.01 |
| 7 | Brazil | 89 | 13,366,776.03 | 1,241,815.33 |
| 8 | Italy | 106 |
12,543,738.44
|
1,165,352.56 |
| 9 | Mexico | 47 | 10,285,729.57 | 955,576.47 |
| 10 | Taiwan, China | 31 | 9,619,570.52 | 893,688.21 |
