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Environmental Awareness has always been high in New Mexico, so maybe it should be expected that going for the "green" sliver resulted in winning the "green" gold. The Santa Fe Convention Center, which opened in 2008, was originally designed to a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver Standard, according to city officials. In order to achieve certification, data must be gathered and processed throughout a new venue’s first year of operation. After that rigorous process was concluded, even Santa Fe’s expectations were exceeded—the Santa Fe Convention Center was able to achieve a LEED Gold Certification.

The LEED Green Building Rating System is a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. The certification process provides independent, third party verification that a building project is environmentally responsible, profitable, and a healthy place to work.

Within this framework, the new Santa Fe Convention Center was built in the most responsible manner that best practices and the budget allowed. Santa Fe clearly succeeded in limiting the environmental impact of the construction and ongoing operation of the center, while maximizing the building's functionality and flexibility. "I am very pleased with the effort we put into it," said David Coss, Mayor of Santa Fe. "The center is cost effective to operate, conserves water and energy, and dramatically demonstrates Santa Fe's dedication to green practices."

Santa Fe raised the bar for green design overall as the first U.S. city to sign the Architecture 2030 Challenge, a national effort to systematically reduce and finally reverse the amount of greenhouse gas emissions created during construction and operation of buildings by 2030. In 2005, prior to the call for designs, the Santa Fe City Council passed a resolution mandating the center be built to a LEED Certified Standard. An extra $1 million was allocated to the project at that time. The Certified Standard is two steps below the Gold Standard the center ultimately received.

Steps taken to reduce the impact of construction and operation include: new building was constructed on the site of the old center; 88 percent of the demolition material by weight was recycled.; 75 percent of the new construction waste by weight was recycled; The center has rooftop gardens to better control heat absorption and transmission; A 45,000 gallon water catchment system supplies most of the facility's irrigation needs; Non-volatile carpet, paint, and cleaning products are used throughout; All exterior lumber was recycled from a New Mexico forest fire; Skylights were used extensively as light sources; Exterior walkways are porous to reduce run-off; Three recycling centers operate within the facility, plus all meeting rooms have their own recycling containers.

The Santa Fe Convention Center is proof that "green" does not mean scrimping on meeting amenities. The venue a 72,000 square foot complex include outdoor meeting areas, fireplaces in some rooms, underground parking, an open interior courtyard, wireless connectivity, high-speed data lines, and flexible meeting space to provide multiple events with their own exhibition area, breakout rooms, and meal function areas. In addition, the Santa Fe Convention & Visitors Bureau offers a carbon offset program through its website for visitors traveling to the city and groups holding events in Santa Fe.