New Orleans convention center earns award for sustainability

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center has earned a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold Certification, according to an announcement on Wednesday, Aug. 27.

According to convention center officials, it is one of only two convention centers in the country to be certified gold twice in a row. It was last certified gold in 2022.

The LEED certification is a rating system given by the U.S. Green Building Council that provides a framework for healthy, highly efficient green buildings based on standards for energy efficiency, water conservation, indoor air quality and waste reduction.

Officials said the convention center has continued to innovate and increase its efforts to reduce the facility’s environmental footprint since 2022.

The convention center expanded its recycling programs, diverting 378.4 tons of waste from landfills in 2024 and reduced energy usage by 11% and water use by 16% since 2019.

The convention center is the largest LEED certified facility in the country. In April 2025 the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality presented the facility with an Environmental Leadership Award.

In 2024 the convention center reportedly completed the installation of a 40 acre “cool roof” with a special foam insulation and coating that creates a reflective sheen to divert heat away from the building, reducing the urban heat island effect in the neighborhood and yields a small energy savings for the building. Rock ballast from the previous roof was repurposed for use in the parking lots.

During a 2023 interior renovation project, old carpet and ceiling tiles were sent to special facilities to make new products.

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