The U.S. Green Building Council announced six recipients of its 2025 USGBC Leadership Awards. The annual awards recognize organizations and individuals whose exemplary work has been influential in the expansion of sustainable, high-performing buildings and communities.
“This year’s awardees are a testament to leadership with vision and purpose. They represent the very best of what our movement can achieve,” said Peter Templeton, president and CEO of USGBC. “As we confront the climate challenges ahead, their relentless commitment to sustainable building is helping advance our industry and inspire others to take meaningful steps toward a more sustainable and resilient future.”
The Leadership Award for Organizational Excellence is given to outstanding organizations whose vision, leadership and commitment have significantly advanced the green building industry. This year’s recipients are:
- Catalyst Partners, a collaborative team of credentialed professionals committed to high-performance and regenerative design protocols for buildings, interiors, landscapes, and products, supports high-performance buildings – including on more than 100 LEED-certified projects. It positively impacts communities and proves the business case for sustainably designed and operated buildings.
- Arup, a global built environment consultancy providing advisory and technical expertise across more than 150 disciplines, has pioneered work on decarbonization, resilience, biodiversity, circularity and health, embedding sustainability as a core principle of world-class buildings.
- Cindy Jacobs, Jean Lupinacci, Jon Passe, and Michael Zatz are former civil servants and leaders at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star commercial, residential, and industrial programs. They were instrumental in creating the foundation for transformative energy and emissions reductions across the industry.
The Kate Hurst USGBC Leadership Award is presented to an outstanding female leader who has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to sustainability in the built environment. This year’s recipient is: Grace Kwok of Allied Environmental Consultants. She is a green building practitioner, educator and advocate whose work has enabled organizations across Asia and beyond to meet their sustainability goals.
The Malcolm Lewis IMPACT! Award was created in honor of Malcolm Lewis’ significant contributions to the success of the LEED rating system and his work as a member of the LEED Steering Committee, chair of the Technical Scientific Advisory Committee, and LEED Technical Committees. The award celebrates volunteer efforts from across the U.S. that advance green buildings and communities. As part of the award, USGBC will make a $10,000 donation to support the continued impact of volunteer efforts. The winner of this year’s Malcom Lewis IMPACT! Award, The LEED v5 committees have contributed thousands of hours volunteering for the Steering Committee, Consensus Committees, Technical Advisory Groups and working groups, which drove LEED v5 development from concept to reality.
This year, USGBC has introduced a new award – the inaugural Emerging Leader award – to recognize and elevate a new wave of changemakers who are making a meaningful impact today while shaping the future of the green building movement. It will be given to an individual with up to 10 years of professional experience who has demonstrated early leadership in their field.
The Emerging Leader recipient will be announced during the USGBC Leadership Awards Celebration on Wednesday, Nov. 5, in conjunction with the annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo
