Jordan News Agency reported that the World Health Organization building, Amman Offices, has earned the first Gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design LEED Certification V2.2 for a Green building not only in Jordan but in the entire region.

The project received the final review by the United States Green Building Council USGBC with 42 points, which qualifies for a Gold Certification. The four storey office building is located in the business zone along a major road in Amman in an area of about 4,000 square meters, utilizing the existing infrastructure of close access to private and public transportation.

According to USGBC, buildings are one of the heaviest consumers of natural resources and account for a significant portion of the greenhouse gas emissions that affect climate change. For example, in the United States, buildings account for 38% of all carbon dioxide emissions.

Given these figures, it is clear buildings significantly contribute to the global climate change problem but they are also a central part to a solution. Moreover, the academic and professional arenas have responded with studies and analyses providing data around the benefits of greening the built environment to address the reduction of energy and water consumption, lower maintenance costs, higher occupant satisfaction, and lower green house gas emissions.

LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third party verification that a building is designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most, energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, indoor environmental quality improvement, and conservation of resources and sensitivity to their impacts on health and environment.

(Sourced from Jordan News Agency)