The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) introduced a draft of its LEED v5 Operations and Maintenance (O+M) rating system for existing buildings. While the launch of LEED v5 begins with existing buildings, LEED v5 for Building Design and Construction (BD+C) will roll out in 2024.
In conjunction with the release of the LEED v5 O+M draft, White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi announced a plan to create a new national definition of zero-emissions building. LEED v5 will align with this definition, including requirements for LEED Zero Carbon and Platinum level projects that specify low to no operational GHG emissions to help the industry coalesce impactful strategies. The move aims to empower and engage the market towards zero-emission buildings and will be referenced in federal programs and state and local policies. USGBC and other organizations in the green building space will align around this national definition to send a clear market signal.
LEED v5 will also work to adopt minimum requirements on embodied carbon, moving closer toward net zero buildings. USGBC is leading the conversation on embodied carbon with the Embodied Carbon Harmonization and Optimization (ECHO) Project, a coalition of industry groups working to standardize reporting of embodied carbon emissions.
“The launch of LEED v5 underscores our unwavering commitment to our mission of fostering sustainable building practices that embrace principles of equity, health, biodiversity, and resilience,” said Peter Templeton, president and CEO, USGBC. “Requirements within LEED v5, coupled with the federal government’s efforts to establish the new national definition of zero-emissions building, represent a pivotal moment in the built environment’s path toward decarbonization. This alignment will reduce market friction and enable stakeholders to work together toward a common goal.”
The LEED v5 O+M draft is designed to deliver an understandable, actionable and transformational rating system with a clear roadmap for progressive actions that facilitate LEED certification. The draft offers industry benchmarking and scoring to reward performance while maintaining a measured data-driven approach to certification. This will assist LEED users in anticipating and preparing for several years of building operations, encompassing legislative mandates, impending climate risks, and expected industry trends.
New in LEED v5 is its addressing of all significant sources of carbon emissions in buildings, provides clear steps for delivering ultra-low greenhouse gas emissions buildings, rewards existing buildings for leadership and planning to hit future decarbonization targets for ultra-low carbon emissions buildings and will enhance the carbon literacy of the industry and incentivize existing buildings to work toward ultra-low carbon and zero-emission plans.
It also includes a credit for continual assessment and verification of measurable indoor air quality, including indicators for infection risk management and focuses on equity within cleaning operations and protections for cleaning personnel.
