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The milestone reflects a decade of steady changes in Vietnam’s infrastructure and urban development, alongside growing adoption of internationally recognized green building standards. Vietnam’s improved ranking in 2025 represents a 20-place jump compared with its position in 2023.

The achievement was announced at the “LEED Success Story of Vietnam 2025” event, jointly organized by USGBC and Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), with Daikin Vietnam as the event partner, at Daikin Air Tower, a LEED-certified building in Ho Chi Minh City, on Feb. 4. The event reviewed Vietnam’s progress in advancing green buildings through the LEED certification system.

Vietnam is now home to hundreds of LEED-certified projects, with certified floor area totaling tens of millions of square meters. The program recognized notable green developments and reaffirmed GBCI’s continued engagement in supporting Vietnam’s transition toward more sustainable urban development aligned with international benchmarks.

Vietnam’s entry into the top 10 reflects rapid growth in green buildings certified under international standards across a wide range of asset types, including offices, factories, commercial complexes, educational facilities, and healthcare projects. Rating systems focused on energy efficiency, resource conservation, and indoor environmental quality are increasingly being incorporated into long-term planning strategies by project owners.

In this context, LEED, developed by the USGBC, has become one of the most widely applied green building certification systems in Vietnam. Beyond certification, LEED is used as a framework for evaluating building performance and supporting decision-making for developers and building owners. It has also gained relevance in strengthening credibility with investors and financial institutions.

According to Gopalakrishnan Padmanabhan, Managing Director of GBCI India, Southeast Asia and the Middle East, LEED adoption in Vietnam has been largely driven by commercial real estate and industrial manufacturing and warehouse developments, alongside increased investment in industrial parks.

Gopalakrishnan Padmanabhan, Managing Director of GBCI India, Southeast Asia and the Middle East, speaking at the event on Feb. 4, 2026. Photo courtesy of GBCI

“All these assets, developers, and end users have aggressive sustainability goals, and LEED has helped this journey,” Padmanabhan said. “LEED is increasingly linked to ESG and sustainable finance. Global reference bodies such as ICMA and CBI have now included LEED within their frameworks for green bonds and green loans, signaling a shift from commitments to evidence and performance.”

“As a data-driven certification system, LEED supports asset value creation and provides decision-useful data for sustainable finance,” he added.

He also noted that many private banks in Vietnam are prioritizing investments that enhance long-term asset value and reduce risk. Certification systems such as LEED support this approach by providing measurable and verifiable performance metrics.

Santanu D. Gupta, Associate Director of Market Development of GBCI East India, Bangladesh, Africa, and Vietnam, highlighted the role of LEED in supporting low-carbon transitions, with financial institutions acting as both adopters and facilitators of green buildings.

Additional speakers at the event included Minh Ha of Kingspan Vietnam, John Campbell from Savills Vietnam, Quang Do from Greenviet, Vu Linh Quang from Ardor Green, Vang Le from ISD Engineering, and representatives from Daikin Vietnam.

From the perspectives shared, several financial institutions, including HSBC Vietnam, were highlighted for achieving LEED certifications as part of their green banking strategies. Other institutions such as Techcombank, Vietcombank Tower, Standard Chartered, and CIMB have also obtained LEED certifications for offices and branches in support of their net-zero commitments.

Through its role in administering and certifying LEED, GBCI has worked with developers, consultants, and businesses to integrate green building standards into the practical processes of design, construction, and operations. These collaborations have contributed to improvements in building performance, resilience, and sustainability.

Updated data from 2024-2025 shows that Vietnam’s growing portfolio of LEED-certified projects spans tens of millions of square meters, indicating that LEED has moved beyond pilot implementation to become a widely accepted, market-ready benchmark. Certified buildings are increasingly associated with operational efficiency, emissions reduction, and improved occupant experience.

Representatives from the community of experts, consultants, and businesses gathered at the event. Photo courtesy of GBCI

Through case studies and discussions, the event illustrated how international rating systems can be adapted to Vietnam’s economic, social, and construction context. It also provided a platform for professional exchange among developers, consultants, contractors, and sustainability experts, with the aim of further accelerating green building adoption.

According to a GBCI representative, LEED’s evolution in Vietnam reflects a broader shift from a focus on initial construction costs toward lifecycle performance. LEED-certified projects are increasingly viewed as delivering both environmental and economic benefits while supporting healthier living and working environments.

Hosting the event at Daikin Air Tower carried symbolic significance, demonstrating how international standards and technology can be effectively applied to meet local operational requirements.

Through the “LEED Success Story of Vietnam 2025” program, USGBC and GBCI reaffirmed their commitment to continuing cooperation with Vietnam to advance green infrastructure, expand access to international standards, and support long-term sustainable development in the country’s building and urban sectors.

GBCI is the world’s leading sustainability and health certification and credentialing body, independently recognizing excellence in performance and practice globally. It administers project certifications and professional credentials, including LEED, PEER, SITES, EDGE, TRUE certification for zero waste, and the Investor Confidence Project (ICP).

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a global green building certification system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council and applied in more than 180 countries and territories, providing a comprehensive framework for assessing environmental performance across the full lifecycle of buildings.