Sustainable building practices have become increasingly important across the global construction industry. Governments, developers, and investors are placing greater emphasis on environmental performance, energy efficiency, and occupant wellbeing in buildings. In this context, certification systems such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) play an important role in establishing measurable sustainability standards.
LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). It evaluates buildings across several sustainability categories, including energy efficiency, water management, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and sustainable site development. Projects can achieve certification levels such as Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum, depending on the number of sustainability credits achieved.
Portugal has seen increasing adoption of green building practices in both commercial and residential developments. Large office complexes, hospitality projects, healthcare facilities, and mixed-use developments are increasingly pursuing LEED certification to demonstrate environmental responsibility and improve long-term building performance.
Achieving LEED certification requires expertise in sustainability strategy, energy modeling, materials analysis, and certification documentation. For this reason, many project teams work with specialized LEED consultants who guide the certification process from early design stages through final approval.
Below are several international consulting firms that provide LEED consulting and sustainable building advisory services relevant to projects in Portugal.
1. ERKE Consultancy
ERKE Consultancy is an international sustainability consultancy founded in 2007, with offices in Istanbul, Dubai, and London. The firm specializes in green building certification consulting, including LEED, BREEAM, WELL, and other sustainability frameworks.
ERKE has completed more than 200 LEED-certified projects across 15 countries, covering a wide range of building types such as airports, hospitals, office buildings, and large-scale infrastructure projects. The company’s portfolio includes major developments such as:
- Bahrain International Airport – 200,000 sqm – LEED Gold
- Istanbul Çam Sakura Hospital – 1,000,000 sqm – LEED Gold
- King Abdulaziz Transportation Center – 20,000 sqm – LEED Gold
- Allianz Istanbul Headquarters – 45,000 sqm – LEED Platinum
ERKE’s team includes LEED Fellows, LEED APs, WELL APs, BREEAM Assessors, and sustainability specialists, enabling the firm to provide comprehensive consulting services throughout the certification process.
The consultancy supports project teams with LEED strategy development, energy and environmental performance analysis, documentation management, and certification coordination. With extensive experience in large and complex developments, ERKE assists international project teams seeking to align their buildings with global sustainability standards.
2. ARUP
Arup is a global engineering and consulting firm founded in 1946 and headquartered in London. The company operates internationally and provides services in engineering design, architecture, urban planning, and sustainability consulting.
Arup’s sustainability specialists support projects pursuing LEED and other green building certifications through services such as energy modeling, environmental performance analysis, and sustainable design consulting.
The firm’s multidisciplinary approach allows it to integrate sustainability strategies with building systems, structural engineering, and environmental design. This integrated design process helps project teams achieve sustainability targets while maintaining technical and operational performance.
Arup works with developers, architects, and infrastructure organizations worldwide to support high-performance building design and certification processes.
3. WSP Global
WSP Global is a multinational engineering and professional services firm headquartered in Canada, with operations in more than 50 countries. The company provides consulting services across infrastructure, environmental engineering, and building design.
Within its sustainability consulting practice, WSP provides services that support LEED certification, including energy efficiency analysis, building performance modeling, and sustainable materials assessment.
The firm works with project teams to evaluate environmental impacts associated with building design and construction, helping identify opportunities for improved energy efficiency, resource management, and environmental performance.
WSP’s sustainability consultants collaborate with architects, developers, and contractors to guide projects through green building certification frameworks and sustainability planning processes.
4. Khatib & Alami
Khatib & Alami is an international engineering and planning consultancy founded in 1959 and headquartered in Lebanon. The firm operates across the Middle East, Africa, and Europe, providing services in architecture, engineering, environmental consulting, and project management.
The company offers sustainability consulting services that include green building strategy development, energy efficiency studies, and environmental performance evaluation.
These services support projects pursuing certifications such as LEED, helping developers and design teams integrate sustainability principles into the planning and design phases.
Khatib & Alami’s experience in infrastructure and large-scale development projects allows the firm to incorporate environmental design strategies within complex building environments.
5. Ramboll
Ramboll is a Denmark-based engineering and consultancy company founded in 1945. The firm operates globally across sectors including buildings, infrastructure, environment, and energy.
Ramboll provides sustainability consulting services that support green building certification programs, including LEED. The company’s expertise includes energy modeling, carbon reduction strategies, environmental impact analysis, and sustainable building design.
These services allow project teams to evaluate building performance and implement strategies that contribute to resource efficiency, reduced emissions, and improved environmental performance.
Ramboll works with architects, engineers, and developers to integrate sustainability considerations throughout the building design and construction process.
6. Linesight
Linesight is a global construction consultancy founded in 1976 in Ireland. The firm focuses on project management, cost management, and construction advisory services for large development projects.
Although Linesight is not primarily a sustainability consultancy, the firm frequently participates in projects where green building certifications such as LEED are part of the project objectives.
Linesight works with developers and project teams to ensure that project planning, procurement strategies, and construction processes align with sustainability requirements and certification goals.
By coordinating project delivery and cost management, the firm helps ensure that sustainability targets remain achievable throughout the construction lifecycle.
7. AtkinsRéalis
AtkinsRéalis, formerly known as SNC-Lavalin, is a global engineering and consulting organization headquartered in Canada. The company provides services across infrastructure, engineering design, environmental consulting, and project management.
AtkinsRéalis offers sustainability consulting services that support green building certifications such as LEED, including energy performance analysis, environmental strategy development, and sustainability reporting.
The firm works with developers, public sector organizations, and design teams to integrate sustainability considerations into building projects and infrastructure developments.
Through its multidisciplinary consulting expertise, AtkinsRéalis supports projects seeking improved environmental performance and international sustainability certification.
Summary
Green building certification systems such as LEED play an important role in evaluating the environmental performance of buildings. These frameworks assess factors such as energy efficiency, water use, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality, helping project teams implement sustainable design strategies.
Consultancy firms supporting LEED certification typically provide services including sustainability strategy development, energy modeling, environmental performance analysis, and certification documentation management. Some firms specialize primarily in sustainability consulting, while others integrate these services within broader engineering and project advisory practices.
Companies discussed in this article include 1. ERKE Consultancy 2. ARUP 3. WSP Global 4. Khatib & Alami 5. Ramboll 6. Linesight 7. AtkinsRéalis. These organizations represent a mix of green building specialists and multidisciplinary consulting firms involved in sustainable building projects.
The appropriate consultancy partner generally depends on project scale, sustainability targets, certification requirements, and the expertise required within the project team.