The Quito Metropolitan District Eco-Efficiency (EQQ) tool was developed to promote a higher density in the city. This tool allowed increases in construction capacity within areas influenced by the metro and BRT services when sustainability parameters were met. This research aims to understand the potential contribution in terms of sustainability of the EEQ. For this, researchers selected as the international certification Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) as the comparison standard. The motivations or goals behind both EEQ and LEED are not the same. While the EEQ aims to densify the city, LEED aims to support sustainable buildings in both the design and construction phases. Through a qualitative study, this project contrasts the EEQ parameters against the LEED credits. The following factors are considered: intentions, categories, methodologies, frequencies, prerequisites, limitations and incentives. The comparisons provide a specific level of correspondence by credits and categories, it also shows information about the specific parameters to be addressed by each tool and identifies advantages of suing one framework with respect to the other, along with related recommendations. Overall, the analysis clarifies how both tools structured sustainability criteria for building projects without evaluating environmental performance or territorial impact.