In recognition of its sustainability achievements, the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (NOENMCC) has earned its second Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification, making it one of only two convention centers in the country to be certified Gold twice in a row.
Groundwater Week 2025 takes place December 9-11 at NOENMCC.
LEED is a globally recognized building rating system from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) that provides a framework for healthy, highly efficient, green buildings based on standards for energy efficiency, water conservation, indoor air quality, and waste reduction.
After earning its first LEED certification in 2022, a big milestone for its sustainability program, the NOENMCC continued to innovate, optimize, and increase its efforts to reduce the facility’s environmental footprint. The Convention Center expanded its recycling programs — diverting 378.4 tons of waste from landfills in 2024 — and reduced energy use by 11 percent and water use by 16 percent since 2019 following major equipment and lighting upgrades and other improvements.
“Being recertified as a LEED Gold facility is confirmation that all the energy-saving investments, building upgrades and green initiatives we’ve implemented are making a difference,” said Adam J. Straight, convention center COO.
“I am grateful to everyone on our team for the collective effort that’s helping us meet our sustainability goals. Because this is not about getting another green feather in our cap; it’s about working to be a good steward of the environment and making our facility better for our guests, employees, and neighbors.”
As the largest LEED certified facility in Louisiana, the Convention Center is being recognized as a leader in sustainability across the region. In April 2025, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality presented the NOENMCC with an Environmental Leadership Program Award.
Click here to learn more about the NOENMCC.
Click here to register for Groundwater Week 2025. Early-bird savings end November 7.