News

28 Aug, 03:40 PM

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has certified all of Oakland County as LEED for Cities Gold because of its commitment to improving holistic, county-wide sustainability practices.

• Oakland County earned LEED for Cities Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
• The USGBC recognizes the county’s commitment to social, economic and environmental sustainability practices.
• Oakland County is part of a growing group of governments certified using the LEED for Cities & Communities rating system.

Pontiac, Mich. – The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has certified all of Oakland County as LEED^® Gold because of its commitment to improving holistic, county-wide sustainability practices.

The LEED Gold recognition means Oakland County earned high scores countywide for its green spaces, natural resource conservation and restoration efforts, as well as resilience and emergency planning. Many other factors are included in the measurement such as quality of life aspects including low unemployment rates, high education completion rates, favorable median air quality index numbers and low incidences of violent crimes.

Environmental sustainability is one of eight strategic goals by County Executive Dave Coulter’s administration that guide Oakland County.

“Oakland County’s achievement of LEED for Cities Gold certification underscores our deep commitment to sustainability and reflects County Executive Dave Coulter’s vision of fostering healthier, more resilient communities,” Chief Sustainability Officer Erin Quetell said. “This recognition is a testament to the county and its communities driving real, measurable change in environmental stewardship and quality of life for our residents.”

Local governments and communities achieve the certification by implementing practical and measurable strategies and solutions aimed at improving sustainability and the standard of living for residents. LEED is designed to help buildings, communities and cities achieve high performance in key areas of social, economic and environmental sustainability.

During certification, communities implement plans to reduce their energy consumption, carbon emissions, and more to improve air and water quality, foster better health outcomes, and create green jobs. LEED also helps communities track and measure their efforts against key quality of life metrics, such as education, safety, prosperity and equitability.

Oakland County also earned gold certification for its environmental leadership from the statewide Michigan Green Communities (MGC) program in May.

About the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is committed to transforming how buildings and communities are designed, built and operated to create thriving, healthy, equitable and resilient places that advance human and environmental wellbeing. USGBC leads market transformation through its LEED green building program, robust educational offerings, an international network of local community leaders, the annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, the Center for Green Schools, and advocacy in support of public policy that encourages and enables green buildings and communities. For more information, visit usgbc.org and connect on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.