Washington, D.C., in 'green' building lead

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WASHINGTON, March 3 (UPI) -- Washington, D.C., leads the nation when it comes to so-called green and institutional structures, an environmental building group says.

The U.S. Green Building Council has developed the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design certification program and says the District of Columbia has more than 25 square feet of LEED-certified space per capita, the Los Angeles Times reported

The capital is followed by Nevada, the council says, with 11 square feet per person. Other states in the Top 10 are New Mexico, New Hampshire, Oregon, South Carolina, Washington, Illinois, Arkansas, Colorado and Minnesota.

More than 40,000 projects currently participate in the commercial and institutional LEED ratings, making up more than 7.9 billion square feet.

Buildings in the United States are responsible for 39 percent of the country's carbon dioxide emissions and for consuming 40 percent of the energy and 13 percent of the water used, the Times reported.