New research by the law firm Baker & McKenzie has highlighted which countries are leading on green building around the world. The report, the Global Sustainable Buildings Index, examined 25 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas on their sustainable policies, schemes, trends and practices. Criteria included green certification, regulation, retrofit incentives, CO2 and energy targets, and financing, with countries rated against each topic. The report finds that among the countries included, European countries lead, with the Netherlands, France, Germany and the UK ranking highest overall. The report highlights the progressive work of a number of Green Building Councils around the world, and notes the “impressive take-up” of green assessment standards formulated by national GBCs. It also praises organisations such as WorldGBC for “working side by side with many countries to promote environmental awareness and the benefits that result.” The report is the second edition of the index, and expands on 2015’s by including additional countries, such as Belgium, Chile, Colombia, Malaysia, Poland, Russia, Sweden, Taiwan and Ukraine.