The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced a new report detailing the extensive involvement of the retail industry with LEED and the impact of the globally recognized green building rating system on retail development and the consumer experience.
Highlights of the LEED in Motion: Retail report include:

• USGBC’s conceptualization of the future of retail, emphasizing the economic and social benefit of green building for retailers of all sizes and types.

• Interviews with industry leaders including Jonathan Balas, senior manager of global sustainability for Yum! Brands and Curt Radkin, senior vice president of corporate properties for Wells Fargo & Company.

• Profiles of site-specific retail projects including the Destiny USA shopping complex in Syracuse, the Nike Store at the Unicenter in Buenos Aires and the Ušće Shopping Mall in Belgrade.

• Listing of the top 10 U.S. states and the top 10 countries with LEED for Retail certified projects.

The LEED in Motion report outlines the many ways LEED certification delivers a superior consumer experience, including the benefits of circulating fresh air, setting a consistently comfortable temperature and utilizing daylight wherever possible. Additionally, the report shows that 100 percent of those retailers participating in LEED reduced the pollution and land development impact of their buildings by meeting LEED’s sustainable site standard.

In 2007, USGBC launched a pilot program to specifically address the needs of retailers. Subsequently, the LEED for Retail rating system was formally established in 2010. Some of the prominent adopters of LEED for Retail include Bank of America, Starbucks, Target, Wells Fargo, Walgreens, Nike and Yum! Brands. 

The LEED in Motion: Retail report is currently available to download for free on the USGBC website: go.usgbc.org/retail.