The Peach State's Biggest City Just Keeps Getting Greener

With 58 LEED Certified projects and more than 150 additional LEED registered projects currently on record in Georgia, the Peach state is making great progress in sustainability, and according to SustainLane, Atlanta leads the Southeast in green buildings.

In 2003, Atlanta City Council passed legislation (Ord. No. 03-0-1693) which requires all city-funded projects over 5,000 square feet or $2 million to meet LEED Silver Certification. Expanding upon that, Mayor Shirley Franklin identified environmental sustainability as a critical factor in making Atlanta a best-in-class city in 2006 and several initiatives have sprung from that:

  • Atlanta has joined the US Conference of Mayors in adopting the Architecture 2030 Challenge, which targets achieving carbon neutrality in 2030. Atlanta released the first report on Greenhouse gas emissions this year.
    • For more information on the Architecture 2030 Challenge CLICK HERE
  • The Atlanta Sustainable Building Ordinance (ASBO) was initiated in 2008 with a goal of putting it in front of the council for approval this fall. Under the current language all commercial and multi-family construction, both new and renovation work would be required to meet LEED Silver certification or comply with the details in the ASBO. Single-family homes, multi-family structures under 3 stories as well as historic buildings and those that don’t require electricity, fossil fuel use or running water are exempt. Once approved, it will be instituted as the current building code with a 12-month grace period for implementation.
  • This is just a taste of the positive efforts being worked on to make Atlanta healthier, more bottom-line efficient, environmentally responsible and more competitive when attracting employers/jobs.
    • To read a list of Atlanta Green City Initiatives CLICK HERE

 
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