Some people out there, well many think being Green in a building means being LEED certified. Apple’s data center team has some smart folks and they know there is much more to being green than how many LEED points you can get.

GreenBiz has an interview with Apple’s Lisa Jackson and one nice point at the end of the article is on her meeting with the data center design team.

Makower: As you approach your one-year anniversary at Apple on June 10, what’s your biggest surprise?

Jackson: I think it’s how deeply Apple thinks about any given issue. I mean, I knew that it takes a lot of work to make a data center 100 percent renewable, to use our most prominent example as a proof point. What I didn't understand is that to really do it and to be successful at it, you have to start with thinking about the design of the data center. So, getting a chance to meet the team from the very conceptualization of the data center and learn from every data center they've built to the point. Or people who are thinking about energy from the standpoint of efficiency, of course, but also from the deep principles of additionality and displacement and accountability.

Here is some background on Apple’s environmental leadership.

Apple is committed to addressing climate change, to developing green materials for safer products, and to using materials as efficiently as possible. In June 2013, Apple CEO Tim Cook appointed Lisa Jackson as Vice President of Environmental Initiatives. The Office of Environmental Initiatives works with teams across Apple to set strategy, engage stakeholders, and communicate progress.

Apple’s Board of Directors oversees the CEO and other senior management in the competent and ethical operation of Apple on a day‑to‑day basis and ensures that the long‑term interests of shareholders are being served. The Vice President of Environmental Initiatives reports to the CEO. Our integrated approach means that decisions about environmental issues are reviewed at the highest levels of the company. Executive Team members regularly review each new product during its development, focusing on material and design choices, the supply chain, packaging, and product energy efficiency.