New U.S. Green Building Council Guide Showcases LEED as a Catalyst for Sustainable Finance

The new guide provides a comprehensive overview of how green buildings increase investor confidence while driving sustainable change

WASHINGTON, Sept. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the leading authority on green building and the global developer of the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building program, released a guide on how green rating systems can accelerate sustainable finance by increasing confidence in performance outcomes while lowering transaction costs.

Green Building & Sustainable Finance: Accessing Capital to Accelerate Market Transformation covers key concepts and strategies for investing in green buildings and how tools such as LEED and PERFORM, USGBC's portfolio-level verification program, can align expectations and validate achievements for owners, investors, lenders, tenants, and regulators alike. The guide explores a two-sided value proposition, whereby finance is a catalyst for green building and green building is a solution for sustainable finance instruments.

"Sustainable finance isn't just about capital, it's about change," said Sarah Zaleski, chief products officer, USGBC. "When capital is directed toward green building, it becomes both a catalyst for innovation and a system of accountability, demonstrating that what's good for people and the planet is also good for investors."

USGBC is committed to engaging with the finance sector to help bridge the gap between corporate climate goals and the financial feasibility of achieving them. Greater access to capital is critical to financing large-scale projects at the portfolio level and accelerating decarbonization efforts in the built environment, which is responsible for nearly 40% of all carbon emissions.

Green building rating systems such as LEED are used in a wide range of finance instruments, including mortgages, bonds, linked loans, and equity engagement. The guide showcases the breadth of these applications to make them accessible to a broader audience of professionals.

The guide provides finance practitioners with an overview of how green rating systems can be used as a set of tools to create value, reduce risk, and obtain credible data to analyze green projects. It includes investment strategies that maximize ROI while supporting the adoption of green building standards and how green building programs such as LEED and PERFORM address priority impact areas.

Additionally, it aims to help green building practitioners understand the different financing options for their projects and how to make them bankable.

The new guide follows two sustainable finance reports released in 2024 alongside a global alliance of green building organizations. USGBC continues to lead on this issue, welcoming Aidee Olmos as principal, sustainable finance, to strengthen its global expertise and expand its engagement with financial institutions worldwide.

Olmos will be one of the experts presenting the Green Building & Sustainable Finance guide's findings during the 2025 Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, Nov. 4-7 in Los Angeles.

Greenbuild is the premier event for green building professionals, bringing together leaders, innovators, policymakers and visionaries committed to building stronger, more resilient buildings and communities. Registration for Greenbuild is now open.

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

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) accelerates and scales the transformation of the built environment to minimize climate impacts and enhance the well-being of people, the environment, and communities worldwide. USGBC leads market transformation through LEED and other green building certification and enablement programs, robust educational offerings, an international network of industry 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.

SOURCE U.S. Green Building Council