China now has more space certified under the LEED green building program than any other country outside the U.S. and has moved to the top of the global rankings compiled each year by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

LEED, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system run by the USGBC, originated in the U.S. but now has a growing global base. China has 34.62 million gross square meters (GSM) of LEED-certified space, slightly ahead of Canada, which has 34.39 million GSM. Other countries in the top five include India, Brazil, and the Republic of Korea.

The total is a drop in the bucket compared to the 27,699 U.S. projects representing more than 336 million GSM, but the USBGC said that the global market is showing “exponential growth.”

Dodge Research and Analytics said in its World Green Building Trends 2016 market report that the number of green building projects is expected to double every three years. (Dodge defined a green building as one certified under any recognized global green rating system, not necessarily the LEED standard.)

Dodge said that the percentage of firms expecting to have more than 60% of their projects certified will grow from the current 18% to 37% in 2018. Countries with a green market that is still developing — such as Mexico, Colombia, Saudi Arabia, India, and South Africa — will show more growth than the established markets of the U.S. and Europe, the report said.

Client demand became the most important driver for green projects in Dodge’s latest analysis, accounting for 40% of total projects.