Sources: U.S. Green Building Council, Washington, D.C.; CP staff
USGBC has announced a call for proposals to solicit feedback and concepts for the next version of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, the 20-year-old green building rating program whose most recent update was released in April. The standard is revised through a continuous improvement process, USGBC challenging the building sector to be more resource efficient and sustainable with each new version.
LEED v4.1 emphasizes the human experience and pushes project teams to create spaces that reduce carbon emissions, energy, water use and waste, while also improving the health and well-being of the people who live, work, learn and play in certified buildings, cities and communities. “With LEED v4.1 we have fundamentally transformed our rating system development process,” says USGBC CEO Mahesh Ramanujam. “It has allowed us to become more agile and adaptable to incorporate real time feedback so that we can realistically raise the bar on the marketplace.”
The trajectory of LEED is to support city-, investor-, building owner-driven change and other market forces by continuing to improve performance throughout the lifecycle of buildings, advance net zero and net positive practices, and reward leaders who enable building owners and local government agencies to track progress toward environmental, social and governance goals. “Imagine a rating system adaptive and responsive to the ever-changing world around us. This is what we are working toward with LEED,” affirms USGBC Senior Vice President Melissa Baker. “We are exploring how we can strengthen LEED v4.1 and also plan what’s next for the rating system. We are working to ensure that LEED remains a global leadership standard.”
Green building rating system stakeholders can join Council members and staff at the “Future of LEED” education session, scheduled during the 2019 Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, November 19-22 in Atlanta. Session leaders will review market feedback and provide updates on performance-based outcomes, transparency and continuous improvement to future versions of LEED. — www.usgbc.org