LEED Green Associate Exam Now Offered in Portuguese

SAO PAOLO, Sept. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Citing high demand and increased construction market activity in Brasil, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) today announced that the LEED Green Associate exam will now be offered in Portuguese. The announcement was made at the Greenbuilding Brasil International Conference and Expo in São Paolo.

"The pool of green building professionals in Brasil continues to grow in harmony with its portfolio of LEED projects," said Scot Horst, Senior Vice President, LEED, USGBC. "Translating the LEED Green Associate exam into Portuguese was a natural evolution to support the size and scale of the Brasilian green building construction market as well as making the LEED Green Associate Exam more accessible. An increase in green building professionals will contribute to job creation, a skilled workforce and a significant pool of individuals who are equipped to lead the growing economy."

The LEED Green Associate credential denotes fundamental knowledge of the LEED program and green building in general, and a commitment to sustainability.  The most introductory of the suite of LEED professional credentials, over 29,000 professionals worldwide have earned the LEED Green Associate credential since the credential program was launched.

Horst continues, "USGBC has worked very closely with Green Building Council Brasil to make this possible. Their work in reviewing the translated exam and organizing LEED professionals in Brasil to assist has been integral in this process. We celebrate their work at Greenbuilding Brasil through this announcement and at such an amazing forum."

"We are very enthusiastic about this initiative and optimistic that it will help us to disseminate the knowledge and influence the engagement of new leaders to our movement," said Felipe Faria, Institutional and Government Manager, Green Building Council Brasil. "Despite the success of LEED certification in Brasil that is helping us elevate the whole technical level of the construction industry, for us, LEED certification is a very important educational tool. More than 34,000 professionals have already participated in our National Education Program and most of them came to us interested in learning more about LEED certification. So the LEED Green Associate Exams translated in Portuguese will help us to accelerate even more our movement helping to capacitate and encourage individuals aware and capable to assume their leadership."

Mirroring a worldwide trend, Brasil currently has 523 LEED-registered and 65 LEED-certified projects totaling nearly 16 million square meters of construction space. The use of LEED outside the United States continues to grow rapidly, and approximately 40 percent of all square footage pursuing LEED certification exists outside the U.S. As the most widely recognized and used green building program, LEED is certifying 158 square meters of commercial building space each day, comprising more than 154,000 LEED-certified and registered projects in 135 countries.

The LEED Green Associate exam is currently offered in English and French and will be available in Chinese, Portuguese and Spanish in most testing centers beginning in November. Registration for the LEED Green Associate exam in Portuguese is open now and the exam will be available in most testing centers beginning Sept. 24. Learn more at new.usgbc.org/leed/credentials/leed-ga/apply.

U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. USGBC works toward its mission of market transformation through its LEED green building program, robust educational offerings, a nationwide network of chapters and affiliates, the annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, and advocacy in support of public policy that encourages and enables green buildings and communities. For more information, visit usgbc.org and connect on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

LEED
The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED green building system is the foremost program for the design, construction, maintenance and operations of green buildings. Nearly 50,000 projects are currently participating in the commercial and institutional LEED rating systems, comprising nine billion square feet of construction space in all 50 states and 135 countries. In addition, over 23,000 residential units have been certified under the LEED for Homes rating system, with nearly 86,000 more homes registered.

By using less energy, LEED-certified spaces save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce carbon emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community. Learn more at usgbc.org

Contact: Ashley Katz
Media Manager, USGBC
+1-202-742-3738
akatz@usgbc.org