Barranquilla becomes South America's first city with LEED Gold sustainability certification

Barranquilla has achieved a significant international milestone by becoming the first city in South America to earn the LEED for Cities Gold certification. This prestigious award from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) recognizes the city's comprehensive approach to urban sustainability, environmental quality, resilience, mobility, and overall quality of life.

The capital of Colombia's Atlántico department is also the first city in Latin America with over a million inhabitants to reach this level of recognition. The official award ceremony took place at the Gran Malecón, a flagship project symbolizing the city's public space recovery. This achievement follows more than twenty years of urban interventions aimed at restoring ecosystems, expanding green areas, improving mobility, and strengthening environmental infrastructure.

The LEED for Cities Gold certification goes beyond mere infrastructure projects, examining indicators such as environmental performance, water management, energy efficiency, sustainable mobility, air quality, climate resilience, economic development, governance, and citizen well-being. The evaluation, conducted by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), confirms Barranquilla's successful model of urban growth, emphasizing sustainability and the reclamation of previously degraded environmental spaces.

Mayor Alejandro Char highlighted that the certification reflects a long-term commitment and stated that the city's transformation is intrinsically linked to the recovery of its natural environment. "This recognition shows that commitment to the environment also improves people's quality of life," he remarked during the ceremony. An international delegation toured the city's key projects as part of the award process.

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This recognition shows that commitment to the environment also improves people's quality of life.