SARASOTA COUNTY – Sarasota County is proud to announce that it has achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) “Gold” certification and national accreditation from the U.S. Green Building Council, an honor recognizing an array of sustainability efforts across the county. Unlike certification for individual buildings, this designation evaluated sustainability and resilience efforts across the entire county, measuring progress in land use, ecology, quality of life, energy, transportation, water resources, and other categories |
![]() Sarasota County’s continuing growth in popularity has made the area a destination for many, while also highlighting the need to protect limited resources and foster sustainable, equitable communities that respond to change. The county has implemented numerous programs and initiatives toward those goals, from energy conservation projects to water quality programs. LEED, the world’s most widely used green building rating system, helps buildings, communities, cities, and counties by providing a road map toward high performance in key areas of social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Sarasota County achieved Gold certification through the LEED Cities and Communities rating system for implementing practical and measurable strategies and solutions to improve community-wide sustainability and the residents’ standard of living. |
![]() Sarasota County received 65 points out of 110 possible to earn LEED Gold certification, including scoring maximum points for demonstrating achievements in Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Performance (14/14), Resilience Planning (4/4), Transportation Performance (6/6), Quality of Life Performance (6/6), Natural Resources Conservation and Restoration (2/2), and more. “A sustainable county balances social, economic, and environmental concerns in its decision-making and planning. A LEED community takes those plans forward as solutions that improve the overall quality of life for its residents,” said Peter Templeton, president and CEO, USGBC. ” Sarasota County’s LEED certification is a symbol of their leadership on sustainability.” With the LEED Gold certification, Sarasota County joins an elite but growing group—including the City of Sarasota, also recently honored—to be certified using the LEED for Cities and Communities rating system. Questions? Call 311 (941-861-5000 from outside Sarasota County) or email sarasota@ifas.ufl.edu. |
About Sarasota County SustainabilitySarasota County has a long history of commitments to sustainability for both its own operations and the community. Sustainability staff develop programs and encourage actions by citizens, businesses, and institutions that improve the long-term environmental, social, and economic viability of Sarasota County. For more information, visit scgov.net/government/sustainability/sustainability, call 941-861-5000, sign up for the monthly Sustainability newsletter, and connect on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. About the U.S. Green Building Council The U.S. Green Building Council is committed to a healthy, resilient and equitable future for all through the development of green buildings, cities and communities. For more than 20 years, USGBC has been advancing green building practices through the development of LEED, the world’s most widely used green building program. With the support of thousands of members, volunteers and partners, USGBC provides robust green building education courses, a rigorous professional credentialing program, and advocates for effective public policies. It convenes an international network of green building and sustainability leaders through the annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, and forward thinking programs, including the Center for Green Schools. For more information, visit usgbc.org and connect on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. |