U.S. Green Building Council Announces LEED Certification for Six World Cup Stadiums

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has announced that six World Cup stadiums have achieved LEED certification, including South America’s largest stadium, Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro.

Originally built and used for the 1950 FIFA World Cup, the LEED Silver Maracanã stadium is once again reprising its role by playing host for the final game of the 2014 World Cup. Maracanã will also serve as a major sporting venue for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, hosting both the opening and closing ceremonies as well as major sporting events.

The other LEED-certified stadiums for the 2014 FIFA World Cup include Castelao Arena in Fortaleza (LEED Certified), Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador (LEED Silver), Mineirão in Belo Horizonte (LEED Silver), Arena da Amazônia in Manaus (LEED Silver) and Arena Multiuso in Salvador (LEED Silver).

“Even as the world’s top teams take the field, the venues themselves are also in the spotlight, demonstrating not only the worldwide applicability and adaptability of the LEED green building rating system, but also Brazil’s leadership position at the forefront of the movement to high-performing green buildings,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. “FIFA and the government of Brazil have shown great leadership and commitment to mitigating the environmental impact of these World Cup facilities and for making them a showcase of sustainable construction for the international community.”

Felipe Faria, managing director of Green Building Council Brasil, noted that the Brazilian construction firm responsible for the certification of Maracanã, Odebrecht, pushed the boundaries of sustainable innovation, including features such as photovoltaic panels on the roof, rainwater reservoirs and selective collection for waste.

Brazil is among the top five countries worldwide with LEED-certified projects, encompassing nearly 3 million gross square meters (GSM) of LEED-certified space.

To date, project teams in more than 150 countries and territories have implemented LEED in their building projects, taking advantage of LEED’s framework to create structures that mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, provide healthier indoor environments for the people in the buildings and lower utility bills for building owners through reduced energy and water use.

Collectively, more than 59,000 commercial and institutional projects are participating in LEED, representing 1.02 billion GSM worldwide.