The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has announced seven recipients of its 2026 USGBC Leadership Awards, recognizing organizations and individuals whose exceptional leadership has transformed the building industry and advanced sustainable buildings and communities worldwide.
This year's honorees span four continents and represent the reach of the green building movement — from pioneering developers and manufacturers to visionary executives and community-driven organizations. Their collective achievements demonstrate that sustainability at scale is not only possible but profitable, replicable and essential to creating healthy, thriving communities.
"The leaders we honor this year are proof that transformative change in the built environment is happening right now," said Peter Templeton, president and CEO, USGBC. "They've turned ambitious sustainability goals into operational reality, demonstrating that green building at scale drives measurable environmental benefits, economic value and improved quality of life. Their collective impact sets a new benchmark for what leadership in our industry truly means."
For more than two decades, USGBC has presented annual leadership awards for organizational and individual excellence, which recognize exemplary work that has been influential in expanding sustainable, higher-performing buildings. The Kate Hurst Leadership Award and Malcolm Lewis Impact! Award are presented to individuals and volunteer initiatives that honor the legacy of these cherished leaders of our community.
For the second year, USGBC will announce the recipient of the Emerging Leader Award, recognizing professionals with 10 years or less of experience who are driving the future of sustainable building. Additionally, USGBC will present the Project of the Year Awards, recognizing outstanding LEED for Operations and Maintenance (LEED O+M) and LEED for Building Design and Construction (LEED BD+C) projects that demonstrate exceptional performance and leadership. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the world’s most widely used green building rating system.
All the honorees will be recognized at the USGBC Leadership Awards Celebration on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at the Mallory in New York City, taking place alongside the annual Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, the largest conference and expo dedicated to green building. Register to attend the USGBC Leadership Awards Celebration.
2026 USGBC LEADERSHIP AWARD RECIPIENTS
Leadership Award for Organizational Excellence
Recognizes outstanding organizations whose vision, leadership and commitment have significantly advanced the green building industry.
DLF Cyber City Developers Ltd.
India's largest publicly listed real estate company is honored for demonstrating the business case for sustainability at an unprecedented scale. DLF has built the world's largest portfolio of LEED Platinum existing buildings and pioneered large-scale LEED Zero Water achievements, proving that the highest levels of environmental performance and occupant health are achievable in fast-growing, emerging markets.
This global materials leader is recognized for transforming sustainable construction through innovation. By using its own high-performance building materials portfolio as a “living laboratory,” Saint-Gobain has advanced life-cycle assessments, championed materials transparency and reduced virgin raw material use —directly connecting manufacturing to global decarbonization and human well-being.
The international developer and investment manager is celebrated for seamlessly embedding sustainability across its diverse global portfolio. With over 33 million square feet of LEED-certified space, Tishman Speyer has established a remarkable standard for human-centric design and high-performance real estate at scale, leveraging LEED to drive energy efficiency, resilience and occupant well-being worldwide.
Sweden's leading real estate company receives this honor for pioneering LEED in the Nordic region with the country's first certified building in 2009. Vasakronan’s relentless pursuit of “future-proof cities” has optimized the environmental performance of massive amounts of commercial space, as demonstrated by 95% of its portfolio being certified LEED Gold or higher. The company has accelerated sustainable development through circular construction practices, universal green tenant leases and a portfolio-wide energy reduction of more than 50% since 2009—creating a blueprint for transformative green building across European markets.
Leadership Award for Individual Excellence
Honors an outstanding individual whose vision, leadership and commitment have been fundamental to the evolution of their local green building industry.
John Mandyck | Former CEO, Urban Green Council
Mandyck is recognized for three decades of visionary leadership, driving market transformation and sustainable urbanization. His extraordinary career spans a 25-year tenure, including roles as chief sustainability officer at United Technologies and transformative leadership as the first CEO of Urban Green Council. Today, he continues shaping the industry's future by mentoring the next generation of sustainability professionals at the University of Connecticut School of Business and NYU Stern School of Business.
The Kate Hurst USGBC Leadership Award
Presented to an outstanding female leader who has demonstrated unwavering commitment to sustainability in the built environment. Named in honor of Kate Hurst, who spent 15 years at USGBC supporting green building leaders and transforming Greenbuild into a global platform.
Fiona Cousins | Chief Operating Officer, Total Design
Cousins is honored for her pivotal role in advancing sustainable design and quality of life throughout her distinguished career. She has influenced industry leaders and driven lasting change through thought leadership, public policy contributions and the rare ability to connect technical expertise with compelling vision. Through roles leading Arup's sustainability, climate and regional businesses, and as chair of the USGBC board of directors, she has elevated green building practice and advanced resilient outcomes for the built environment.
Malcom Lewis Impact! Award
Celebrates volunteer efforts that advance green buildings and communities. Named for Malcolm Lewis' contributions to the LEED rating system and his service on the LEED Steering Committee and Technical Scientific Advisory Committee. Includes a $10,000 donation to support continued impact.
This 80-acre campus and visionary River Building cultural center is recognized for bringing to life the mission of strengthening communities through sustainable design. Grace Farms demonstrates how the built environment can actively regenerate ecosystems through dual LEED certifications, extensive geothermal infrastructure and transformative habitat restoration that has tripled local bird species—all while deeply engaging the public and serving as a model for regenerative design.
