Chicago rises to the top of U.S. cities in percentage of LEED or Energy Star office buildings

Chicago now boasts highest percentage of certified LEED or Energy Star office buildings among the 30 largest real estate markets in the U.S., according to a study published by CBRE Group Inc. and Maastricht University.

About 66% of the city’s office buildings are now certified in one of the two leading green rating systems. Chicago increased its percentage of green office space square footage by 6.5% in the last year, taking the top spot away from San Francisco, which slipped to second place. Chicago’s effort to encourage building owners to add green roofs and to expedite permitting for buildings with sustainable certification, helped it rise in the rankings.

In this year’s annual study, green buildings in San Francisco represented almost 62% of commercial office space. Atlanta, Houston, and Minneapolis rounded out the top five cities for green buildings.

Across the top 30 U.S. real estate markets, the average proportion of green certified square footage is 38%.