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These same strategies mitigate the rising temperatures that threaten worker safety and public health. Simply planting trees on city streets would give 77 million people a 1°C reprieve on hot days. [47] By prioritizing the equitable use of shaded, green, and accessible outdoor spaces, projects can become safe havens during rising temperatures and foster community connection and inclusion ( SSc2: Accessible Outdoor Space ). The human health and well-being benefits from access to urban green space are well-documented, underscoring this category’s farreaching impacts. [48]
Ecological conservation and restoration As the credit category most directly tied to ecological health, all seven SS credits offer strategies to minimize impacts on land and wildlife, restore natural habitats that bolster resilience and biodiversity, and steward natural resources for prolonged and responsible use. Low-impact development (LID) practices and GI help prevent flooding, reduce erosion, and improve water quality, while soil restoration, native and adaptive plant use, and bird-friendly glass support healthy ecosystems ( SSc3: Rainwater Management, SSc1: Biodiverse Habitat ).
With global commitments to protect and restore at least 30% of the world’s land and seas by 2030, LEED projects are well-positioned to contribute meaningfully to this initiative while planning for long-term resilience. [49]
47 “Beating the Heat: A Sustainable Cooling Handbook for Cities.” n.d. UNEP - UN Environment Programme. https://www.unep.org/resources/report/beating-heat-sustainable-cooling-handbook-cities. 48 White, Mathew P., Lewis R. Elliott, James Grellier, Theo Economou, Simon Bell, Gregory N. Bratman, Marta Cirach, et al. 2021. “Associations Between Green/Blue Spaces and Mental Health Across 18 Countries.” Scientific Reports 11 (1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-87675-0. 49 Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. n.d. “Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.” https://www.cbd.int/gbf.
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