The home of the green and gold is looking extra green. The U.S. Green Building Council awarded Providence Park one of the highest environmental architecture awards: LEED Gold certification.

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is a green building rating system recognized worldwide, providing “a framework for healthy, highly efficient, and cost-saving green buildings.” There are four levels — certified, silver, gold, and platinum — with points awarded across several categories like transportation, innovation, and water efficiency. The Moda Center is the only other sports venue in Portland with a LEED designation.

Providence Park achieved LEED Silver certification in 2011; the stadium’s east side was upgraded to Gold following the 2019 expansion project.

The Timbers attributed the full stadium’s LEED Gold status to:

Diverting 44% of park waste from landfills in the last year with the help of COR Disposal & Recycling
New LED lighting
Free public transportation on gamedays in partnership with TriMet
A new reusable drinkware program