The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has launched LEED v5, the latest version of its flagship LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building program. LEED v5 builds on the 25-year legacy and global impact of LEED, updating and strengthening the standard while providing user-friendly tools for building owners and teams to pursue certification through enhanced technology updates.
“Since its public launch 25 years ago, LEED has profoundly impacted millions of people in cities and communities around the world,” said Peter Templeton, president and CEO of USGBC. “LEED v5 raises the bar, further defining and evolving best practices and giving stakeholders across the building industry clear pathways to address today’s challenges to our health, climate, and communities.”
Developed with input from thousands of green building professionals,LEED v5 focuses on impact areas that touch decarbonization, human and ecological health and resilience. The new version further defines what it means to be a high-performance building today, creating even greater investment potential.
Decarbonization accounts for half of all points for LEED v5 certification to confront current climate needs. The new rating system provides clear, actionable steps to deliver ultra-low-carbon buildings by targeting emissions reductions across all aspects of the building lifecycle, including operations, embodied carbon, refrigerants and transportation. All LEED v5 projects will complete an operational carbon projection and will be given tools to craft a comprehensive, long-term decarbonization strategy, creating pathways for sustainable transformation.
Quality of life credits focus on human-centric strategies that address the health and well-being of occupants and the communities in which buildings are located.
Resilience is another major theme across the rating system, addressing both human and natural systems to strengthen communities. All LEED v5 projects will complete climate resilience assessments to enhance awareness of hazards, increase transparency of risks, reduce vulnerabilities and ensure long-term safety and sustainability.
All projects certified under LEED v5 will receive impact reports to communicate their strategies and performance to internal and external stakeholders. In addition, the new project priorities category allows customization of LEED to meet the unique opportunities across all global regions and market sectors.
“LEED v5 represents a bold step forward in transforming the built environment,” said Grace Kwok, chief sustainability strategist, AEC Capital Limited. “It emphasizes climate resilience, recognizing the need to adapt our built environment to a changing climate. We have the privilege to complete the first LEED v5 project in Asia, with ICC (International Commerce Centre) setting a new benchmark and leading the charge for innovation and excellence in green buildings.”
LEED v5 registration is now available for new construction, interior and existing commercial building projects through the USGBC platform.
