U.S.

GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL®

PUBLIC RELATIONS
GUIDELINES FOR NEW LEED® PROJECTS

UPDATED WINTER 2022

PUBLIC RELATIONS GUIDELINES FOR LEED-
CERTIFIED COMMERCIAL PROJECTS
Congratulations! Your project is joining a select group of sustainable and innovative LEED-certified buildings.
Here are some ideas to help you tell your LEED story.

DISTRIBUTE A PRESS RELEASE

Once you’ve earned LEED certification, go ahead and make it known! A press release template, sample
quotes from USGBC and other resources can be found in these guidelines. You can also request to use the
corresponding LEED logo in your press release.

HOLD A CERTIFICATION CEREMONY

Looking for a USGBC representative to speak or present a plaque/certificate for a LEED certification
ceremony? USGBC’s management team and network of local communities may be available. Complete the
Speaker Request Form and a member of USGBC’s staff will follow up with you. Check our post-certification
resources for more information on ordering certificates or a plaque.

UPDATE YOUR PROJECT’S PROFILE IN USGBC’S DIRECTORY

Each project participating in LEED has its own profile in the USGBC online project directory. The profile page is
completely customizable and offers you a space to highlight the sustainability features that make your project
unique. You can point inquiries you receive about your project to the directory, where they can learn more
about your project and other green building activities and strategies in your community and around the world.

To update this page, login to your account through LEED Online. Make sure your project is not marked
“Confidential” or your project page will not appear in the directory.

SEND USGBC YOUR PHOTOS

USGBC is always looking for high-resolution digital photos of certified projects for use in our marketing
efforts including promotional advertisements, literature, websites and news articles. Contact the USGBC
marketing department to learn more.

SEND US A TESTIMONIAL
How has achieving LEED certification helped you? Have you noticed a change in energy and resource
consumption? Are you saving money? What are the benefits for the people inside your space? Submit a quote
or testimonial about how LEED certification has benefited your space.
BE SOCIAL
There’s an active green building community on social media. Promote your achievement and join USGBC’s
conversation on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Instagram, and be sure to tweet @USGBC with
the hashtag #LEED to let us know of your work. Here are some sample tweets to get you started:

• Proud to announce XXX has just received #LEED XXX certification by @USGBC for our XXX building
[PHOTO] [LINK]
• Putting health & wellbeing first for our employees: XXX receives #LEED certification by @USGBC this
week! [PHOTO] [LINK]
• #Sustainability is a growing priority at XXX! Proud to announce #LEED XXX certification for our XXX
offices! [PHOTO] [LINK]
• XXX scores #LEED XXX today! Proud to have the ultimate #greenbuilding seal of approval on our new
space in XXX! [PHOTO] [LINK]
• #DYK? We’re now #LEED-certified by @USGBC for the highest standards in #greenbuilding leadership!
[PHOTO] [LINK]

PR TIP
If you’ve visited USGBC’s LEED project directory and noticed that your project is not
listed, you may be marked as confidential in our system. If you’d like to change the
confidential status of your project, enlist a project administrator to update the
confidentiality information in LEED Online.

USGBC will not be able to verify your certification to media and outside
parties if your project is listed as confidential.
LANGUAGE FOR MEDIA/MARKETING MATERIALS
Below you will find messaging to help you and your team communicate about your project’s status as a LEED-
certified building.

• Buildings are responsible for an enormous amount of global energy use, resource consumption and
greenhouse gas emissions and have a significant impact on our personal health and well-being. Green
buildings allow us to live and work more sustainably in ways you can experience – in your health, the air
you breathe, the water you drink. They offer us a better quality of life, while also lowering global carbon
emissions, reducing electricity and water bills, and creating new green jobs.

• LEED, or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, is a globally recognized symbol of excellence in
green building. LEED certification ensures electricity cost savings, lower carbon emissions and healthier
environments where people live, work, learn, play and worship. In the United States alone, buildings
account for almost 40 percent of national CO2 emissions, but LEED-certified buildings have 34 percent
lower CO2 emissions, consume 25 percent less energy and 11 percent less water, and have diverted
more than 80 million tons of waste from landfills.

• LEED was developed with a philosophy that sees buildings as living, breathing organisms. Modern
buildings are a collection of systems working together in order to help the building perform. Just as is the
case with the human body, if any of these systems are not working well together, the building as a whole
suffers.

• LEED projects earn points by adhering to prerequisites and credits across nine measurements for
building excellence from integrative design to human health to material use. The LEED rating systems
work for all buildings at all phases of development and are meant to challenge project teams and inspire
outside-the-box solutions.

• LEED provides building owners and operators with a framework for identifying and implementing practical
and measurable green building strategies for all building types from commercial buildings, from hospitals
to schools to offices and even entire neighborhoods.

• The LEED green building rating system has gone through several evolutions since it was originally
introduced in 1998. With its initial launch, LEED opened a new chapter in building design, construction,
management and operation that inspired new energy efficiency and environmental sustainability
technologies and gave rise to a full-blown industry dedicated to supporting green buildings. Now, its
current version, LEED v4.1, is the most robust, flexible and transparent rating system ever.
BRANDING GUIDELINES FOR YOUR PRESS RELEASE
USGBC NAME
USGBC Trademark Policy and Branding Guidelines can be found here. The official organization name is the
U.S. Green Building Council. “USGBC” is the official acronym. Use the complete name on any first reference.
Subsequent references in copy may use USGBC. NOTE: When using “USGBC” as a noun, do not precede
with “the.” For example: Contact USGBC for more information.

LEED® RATING SYSTEM

LEED® as a registered trademark of the U.S. Green Building Council does not have to be spelled out in
the first reference; however, the complete name is the LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design) green building program.

LEED® − The registered trademark superscript is only necessary for the first use in a short document or the
first use in each section of a longer document if desired. Following the first mention, use “LEED.”

TRADEMARKS
The U.S. Green Building Council owns the following trademark registrations.

• U.S. Green Building Council • Leadership in Energy and • LEED logo

• USGBC Environmental Design
• USGBC logo • LEED

CERTIFICATION LEVELS
There are four levels of LEED certification – Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum. When a project achieves
certification, it should be referred to as a LEED-certified project (not: LEED for New Construction certified or
LEED for Commercial Interiors v2.0 certified). If appropriate, supporting text may be written that gives
additional detail about the specific rating system under which the project was certified.

• "LEED certification" with lowercase "c" is used to describe the certification process.
• "LEED-certified" with lowercase "c" is used to describe a project that has been certified.

• "LEED Certified" with capital "C" (and no hyphen) is used to describe a project that has been certified to
the base level: Certified.

When a project is certified, the correct wording is "project ‘X’ is LEED Silver" or "project ‘X’ is LEED certified to
the Silver level" or "project ‘X’ is LEED Silver certified." Due to repetition, the wording "project ‘X’ is LEED
Certified certified" is not recommended. "Certified" to reference both certification and level is sufficient.
 SAMPLE COMMERCIAL PRESS RELEASE
XXX Awarded Prestigious LEED Green Building Certification

City, State -- (Date) -- The XXX announced today that it has been awarded LEED [LEVEL OF
CERTIFICATION]. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), developed by the U.S. Green
Building Council (USGBC), is the most widely used green building rating system in the world and an
international symbol of excellence. Through design, construction and operations practices that improve
environmental and human health, LEED-certified buildings are helping to make the world more sustainable.

QUOTE FROM THE PROJECT

XXX achieved LEED certification for implementing practical and measurable strategies and solutions in areas
including sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor
environmental quality. Green buildings allow companies to operate more sustainably and give the people
inside them a healthier, more comfortable space to work. Discuss the strategies used and why they are good
for business and people. Consider the following:

• Sustainable Sites
• Water Efficiency
• Energy & Atmosphere
• Materials & Resources
• Indoor Environmental Quality
• Innovation in Design
• Location and Transportation

QUOTE FROM USGBC (Sample quotes available below).

Certification is proof that buildings are going above and beyond to ensure the space is constructed and
operated to the highest level of sustainability. More than XXX commercial and institutional projects are
currently participating in LEED, comprising more than XXX square feet of construction space in all 50 states
and more than XXX countries and territories. (Note: These numbers are dynamic. Please visit USGBC's
Statistics page for most recent statistics).

###

INCLUDE PROJECT/COMPANY BOILERPLATE

About the U.S. Green Building Council

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) 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.
SAMPLE QUOTES FROM USGBC’S CEO
You’re welcome to use a quote from USGBC in your press release. Here are a few samples. If you would like to
seek approval on an alternate quote, please contact our communications department. Contact information can
be found on page 8 of these guidelines.

“XXX’s LEED certification demonstrates tremendous green building leadership,” said

Peter Templeton, president and CEO, USGBC. “LEED was created to make the world a
better place and revolutionize our buildings and communities by providing everyone with
access to healthy, green and high performing buildings. XXX is a prime example of how
the innovative work of project teams can create local solutions that contribute to making a
global difference.”

“The work of innovative building projects like XXX is a fundamental driving force in
transforming the way our buildings are built, designed and operated,” said Peter
Templeton, president and CEO, USGBC. “Buildings that achieve LEED certification are
lowering carbon emissions, reducing operating costs and conserving resources while
prioritizing sustainable practices and human health. Because of XXX, we are increasing
the number of green buildings and getting closer to USGBC’s goal to outpace
conventional buildings, while being environmentally and socially responsible and
improving quality of life for generations to come.”

“LEED is a transformative tool that ensures a building is designed and operated to

achieve high performance, improve human health and protect the environment,” said
Peter Templeton, president and CEO, USGBC. “By prioritizing sustainability, XXX project
is leading the way in their industry and helping USGBC continue towards our goal of
green buildings for everyone within this generation.”

“Transforming our buildings and spaces happens one project at a time. XXX understands
the value of LEED and has shown extraordinary leadership in reshaping the market,” said
Peter Templeton, president and CEO, USGBC. “The success of LEED is due to the
partnership and support of those committed to advancing green building and
sustainability. Each new LEED certification brings us one step closer to revolutionizing the
spaces where we live, learn, work and play.”

“Achieving LEED certification is more than just implementing sustainable practices. It

represents a commitment to making the world a better place and influencing others to do
better,” said Peter Templeton, president and CEO, USGBC. "Given the extraordinary
importance of climate protection and the central role buildings play in that effort, XXX is
creating a path forward through their LEED certification.”
NEWSWORTHY STATS
Visit our Press Room for helpful resources like LEED backgrounders and statistics. Visit the
LEED Project Directory to find LEED-certified and registered projects in your area.
Consult our trademark policy online for additional guidance.

HELPFUL CONTACTS AND ONLINE

RESOURCES

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

Taryn Holowka
Senior Vice President
Marketing, Communications & Advocacy
tholowka@usgbc.org

Deisy Verdinez
PR & Communications Director
Dverdinez@usgbc.org

LOGO/BRANDING
Trademark Policy

Questions? Contact us

CERTIFICATION CEREMONY REPRESENTATIVE REQUEST

Speaker Request Form

PLAQUE/CERTIFICATE ORDERING
Post-certification resources