Six World Cup Stadiums Achieve LEED Certification from U.S. Green Building Council

Brazil’s global leadership position in high-performing green buildings has been reaffirmed further with the U.S. Green Building Council awarding LEED certification for six of the country’s World Cup stadiums. The Council, in conjunction with the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, has announced this award, which includes South America’s largest stadium, Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, which will host the World Cup final game.

Both FIFA and the Brazilian government have demonstrated exemplary leadership and commitment to mitigating the environmental impact of the World Cup facilities, and for using the occasion to showcase the benefits of sustainable construction before the global community. In addition to the stadium in Maracana, which will also serve as a key venue for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the other LEED-certified stadiums for 2014 FIFA World Cup include Castelao Arena in Fortaleza, Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador, Mineirao in Belo Horizonte, Arena da Amazonia in Manaus and Arena Multiuso in Salvador.

Felipe Faria, managing director of Green Building Council, Brazil, said that the country is making history with these LEED stadiums. He pointed out that the Brazilian construction firm responsible for the certification of Maracana, Odebrecht, pushed the boundaries of sustainable innovation with Maracana, providing green features such as photovoltaic panels on the roof, rainwater reservoirs and selective collection for waste. The innovative green elements incorporated into these stadiums will significantly reduce the overall environmental impact of the games in Brazil.

Each of the World Cup stadiums that have won a LEED certification incorporates multiple sustainable features. For instance, Castelao Arena features a 67.6 percent reduction in drinkable consumption, a 12.7 percent reduction in annual energy consumption, and 97 percent of the project waste was diverted from the landfill. Arena Fonte Nova used 20 percent of its building materials made from recycled content and diverted 75 percent of the project’s construction waste from the landfill, in addition to purchasing 35 percent of its power from renewable sources such as solar and wind.

Brazil ranks among the world’s top five countries with LEED-certified projects, covering about three million square meters of LEED-certified space.

Article by Vikas Vij of Justmeans, appearing courtesy 3BL Media.