Smart City Malta’s first energy-efficient building SCM01 has been awarded LEED Silver accreditation by the US Green Building Council.

SCM01 is the first building in Malta and in Smart City Malta to be awarded LEED Silver certification by the USGBC, while SCM02 and SCM03 have been pre-certified to a silver rating.

Smart City Malta’s SCM01 incorporates facilities for more efficient use of energy, lighting, water and material use besides integrating several sustainable strategies.

LEED certification of SCM01 was based on green design and construction features which safeguard the project, staff, and the wider community. Measures at SCM01 have reduced the annual irrigation water consumption by 52.3 per cent and energy consumption by 17.6 per cent.

More than 10 per cent of the total building material and products used have been extracted, harvested and manufactured within 500 miles of project site and 13.97 per cent of that material is comprised exclusively of pre- and post-consumer recycled content.

Through the adoption of these sustainable measures a LEED-certified building saves money, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the community at large.

LEED – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – is a rating system devised by the USGBC to evaluate the environmental performance of a building and encourage market transformation towards sustainable design. The system is credit-based, allowing projects to earn points for environment-friendly actions taken during construction and use of a building.

A commemorative plaque was presented to Smart City Malta chief executive Fareed Abdulrahman by Resources Minister George Pullicino in the presence Malta Environment and Planning Authority chief executive officer Ian Stafrace.