Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings announced today that its Norwegian Cruise Line flagship terminal at PortMiami received an honorary recognition as the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold New Construction v4.0 cruise ship terminal in Florida, the United States and the world, according to a press release.

“We are proud to be recognized as a leader in sustainable construction with the LEED Gold Certification of our incredible new PortMiami terminal B, the Pearl of Miami, the first cruise terminal in the world to receive this certification under the new, more stringent LEED construction standards,” said Frank Del Rio, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.

“This certification is a great reflection of how we are driving a positive impact on the environment and society through our global sustainability program, Sail & Sustain, while delivering on our vision to be the vacation of choice for everyone around the world. We will continue to invest, design and develop towards this commitment including further investment at the PortMiami terminal where we are partnering with Miami-Dade County to add shore power capabilities by Fall 2023.”

Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED is the most widely used green building rating system in the world, and LEED certification is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement.

The 188,000 square foot terminal, was designed with innovation and sustainability at the forefront, according to Norwegian.

The team created a platform that optimizes the terminal’s energy performance, indoor air quality, water efficiencies, utilization of local materials and resources and much more. With high levels of energy performance in mind, the project was designed to perform at least 38 percent better than the average building. In addition to significant water quality permits and protections, the terminal includes manatee protections and pollution discharge protections, and plans to have shore power capabilities by the Fall of 2023.

“We are honored to have partnered with PortMiami and Miami-Dade County to construct an iconic terminal to LEED Gold Standards,” said Harry Sommer, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line. “The terminal was designed and built in partnership with our local South Florida community. Approximately 90% of all subcontractors, vendors and suppliers were local to the region, encouraging local economic growth.”