As sustainability reshapes priorities in commercial real estate, Charlotte is emerging as a national leader in green office space. A new report from Commercial Cafe ranks Charlotte as the 15th best-performing primary market in the U.S. for sustainable workspaces, highlighting the city’s significant strides in energy-efficient and LEED-certified buildings.
To help identify the top primary and secondary U.S. markets for green workspaces, the team at Commercial Cafe developed a ranking system that evaluates both the sustainability of existing office stock — through certifications, energy efficiency, and building policies — and the surrounding environment, including mobility options and CO2 emissions.
Here are some of the key takeaways:
Charlotte was the 15th best-performing primary office market in the country.
- Between 2015 and 2024, Charlotte increased its stock of LEED-certified offices by 6.6% (or 9.6 million square feet), which is the 2nd-largest addition on the list.
- In terms of energy efficiency, Charlotte placed among the top 10 with 13 square feet of Energy Star-certified office space per capita.
- When it comes to its performance in the LEED category, the market placed among the top 10 for its shares of LEED Gold-certified (28%) and LEED Silver-certified workspaces (7.1%).
