What’s happening: Oakland County’s efforts to improve county-wide sustainability practices were recognized with a LEED Gold certification from the
U.S. Green Building Council. The certification is holistic in nature, not only taking into account a community’s environmental sustainability practices but also several other key quality of life indicators.
What it is: The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is often thought of in terms of buildings, scoring a project in terms of design, construction, and other factors. The nonprofit also offers its certification process to cities and communities, like Oakland County here, scoring communities on environmental sustainability factors but also on quality of life issues like equity, health, and more.
What it means: Oakland County received a LEED Gold certification, the second-highest rating available to cities and communities with only Platinum certifications ranked higher. Oakland County received its certification on the quality of its countywide commitment to green spaces, natural resource conservation and restoration efforts, low unemployment rates, high education completion rates, and more.
Why it’s important: “Oakland County’s achievement of LEED Gold certification underscores our deep commitment to sustainability and reflects County Executive Dave Coulter’s vision of fostering healthier, more resilient communities,” says Oakland County’s Chief Sustainability Officer Erin Quetell. “This recognition is a testament to the county and its communities driving real, measurable change in environmental stewardship and quality of life for our residents.”
Bona fides: Earlier this May, Oakland County also achieved gold status from the Michigan Green Communities program. The county attributes these successes to County Executive Dave Coulter’s
Oakland County Strategic Framework; Environmental Sustainability is one of the framework's eight strategic goals.
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