The US Government is proud to be a leader in addressing climate change in environmental sustainability. We continue to celebrate the landmark Climate Agreement that was reached in Paris. Closer to home, the new US Embassy was inaugurated in June as a high performance building. We are extremely proud to share with you that the new U.S. Embassy building in Swaziland is the Department’s 37th diplomatic facility overseas to earn a LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold level certification. This is one of the highest standards around the world. Used in over 150 countries, the LEED green building rating system is widely recognized as a common language for high-performance buildings.
Severe drought conditions across southern Africa have made water conservation a high priority in Swaziland and the new embassy is designed for efficient water use and recycling. The project incorporated efficient plumbing fixtures, locally sourced drought resistant plants, and a combined water retention and wastewater treatment system to reuse treated wastewater and rainwater for irrigation.
Additional sustainable design elements also conserve resources and reduce operating costs. The embassy features a solar power (photovoltaic) array supplying 30% of the Chancery’s energy demand, regenerative elevators, light-emitting diode (LED) lights, motion sensors and daylight harvesting systems that reduce power usage by taking advantage of natural light.
