The main building of Apple’s California HQ, Apple Park, sets the bar high for sustainable offices and buildings in general. Prior to its 2017 opening, CEO Tim Cook went as far as suggesting to the New York Climate Week conference that it could be “the greenest building in the world”.

As noted by its LEED accreditation in 2019, the headquarters runs on 100% renewable energy, thanks to its 14 megawatt rooftop solar installation and 4 megawatts of biogas fuel cells.

The site is nourished with 9,000 drought-tolerant trees, and the water that the office recycles helps to replace over 30 million gallons of what would be potable water used for everyday needs such as irrigation and toilet flushing. It even extends to support the water use of the nearby City of Cupertino.

Other notable green features include 4,300 hollow concrete slabs, which help the building stay cool, and its landscaping, which was designed with a leading Stanford University arborist to help restore a significant level of the area’s native plant life.

LEED rating: Platinum – 87