Kuwait Finance House (KFH) has announced that the General Services Department received the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). This global recognition affirms the compliance of KFH’s several branches with the globally approved standards and the USGBC’s requirements.

LEED Certificate is a globally recognized system for rating and classifying buildings based on their level of compliance with sustainability and energy efficiency standards. The certification assesses the quality of building design and operation in an environmentally responsible manner, covering key criteria including energy efficiency, water efficiency, carbon emissions reduction, indoor environmental quality, and the use of sustainable building materials.

Buildings awarded the LEED certification are characterized by several fundamental elements that provide them with a competitive advantage, in addition to being newly constructed buildings. These include reducing greenhouse gas emissions, lowering operating costs, and enhancing indoor environmental quality.

The internationally recognized LEED certification is granted through two closely related entities, the USGBC which developed the LEED rating system and its core standards, and the Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), which is responsible for certification issuance, verification, and auditing services for projects worldwide.

KFH Executive Manager General Services, Ayman Altabtabaei, said that obtaining the certification for a number of KFH’s branches represents significant operational, financial and environmental benefits, “Studies confirm that LEED-certified buildings performs better than conventional buildings, operating at lower costs and consuming less energy and water,” he noted. “This leads to constantly reducing OPEX, enhancing indoor environment quality of the branch, contributing to employee well-being, improving customer experience within branches, and strengthening institutional reputation and sustainability.”

He added that LEED is a globally recognized benchmark, and achieving this certification positions KFH among leading institutions in sustainability, particularly in light of the Central Bank of Kuwait’s increasing focus on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting.

Altabtabaei emphasized that LEED certification for KFH branches is not merely an environmental accomplishment, but a strategic financial and operational investment that enhances efficiency, reputation, customer and employee satisfaction, asset value, and compliance with global sustainability standards.

It is worth noting that KFH places customers at the core of its development and improvement efforts, ensuring higher levels of trust and enabling the Bank to implement plans more efficiently in a manner that strengthens competitiveness and supportive work environment.