Italy is now home to 297 LEED-certified and registered projects totaling more than 4.5 million gross square meters of space, according to LEED in Motion: Italy, a new report released  by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) at the Greenbuild Europe & the Mediterranean Conference and Expo, being held Oct. 14-16 in Verona, Italy.

“As we bring together the green building community in Europe, it is the perfect time to celebrate the growth of LEED in Italy,” said Rick Fedrizzi, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. “Italy’s LEED-certified museums, university buildings, 400-year-old villas and schools show that green buildings can be majestic and old, and part of the distinctive landscape of historic communities. At the same time, Italy’s new design-forward skyscrapers are testaments to the sustainability innovations and revolutionary breakthroughs that are being ushered in through LEED.”

The report highlights several prominent LEED buildings, including Sede Centrale Ca’ Foscari, the oldest LEED-certified building in the world, which overlooks the Grand Canal and is the headquarters for Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. Also featured are the future LEED Gold Lavazza Coffee headquarters in Turin and the LEED Platinum Prysmian Headquarters in Milan.

Italcementi i.Lab in Bergamo, a research and innovation lab for the concrete manufacturer, and Saint-Gobain Habitat Lab in Milano, a multi-functional space that aims to spread the concept of sustainable building and to promote good practices of design and construction, which currently holds the highest Platinum score in Italy, are also included in the report.

“As green building continues to become popular in Europe, Italy sets a high bar, showing that, with a little ingenuity and innovation, the cultural landmarks of the past and the future across Europe can help our children learn how to be better stewards of our shared planet,” continued Fedrizzi.

Now in its 14th year, Greenbuild has become the world’s largest conference and expo dedicated to green building, bringing together building professionals from all over the world for three days of outstanding educational sessions, renowned speakers, green building tours, special seminars and networking events. This for the first time this year, U.S. Green Building Council and Informa Exhibitions, have partnered with the Green Building Council Italia and Veronafiere to bring this inaugural Greenbuild EuroMed event to Verona.

“GBC Italia is excited to showcase this new report at Greenbuild EuroMed, which has attracted support from green building councils across Europe, helping the regional green building industry raise its visibility and accessibility for Europe’s broader business community,” said Dr. Nadia Boschi, vice president, GBC Italia. “LEED and the green building movement are driving economic growth and reshaping the real estate market across our country. The Italian market has been highly receptive to LEED, and we are witnessing an era of strong demand for green buildings across many diverse sectors of Italy’s economy.”

LEED in Motion: Italy is the latest in a series of reports from USGBC designed to provide a holistic snapshot of the green building movement in international markets. The report equips green building advocates with the insight and perspective to understand the use of the globally recognized LEED rating system and to make a strong case for sustainable building activity.

To download LEED in Motion: Italy on the USGBC website, visit readymag.com/usgbc/Italy/. For more information on Greenbuild EuroMed, visit: greenbuildeuromed.com.