THE FUTURE OF LEED

U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL THE FUTURE OF LEED

Green buildings for everyone within a generation—this is the

challenge that the U.S. Green Building Council set forth at our
inception in 1998, and that inspired the creation of the LEED
green building program.

What launched in March 2000 with a single change in the way we address the built
focus on new construction in commercial environment, the repercussions for the
buildings and a handful of projects has generations that follow will be unthinkable.
evolved to address all building types and
stages of life. LEED has also expanded The way forward will include a phased
beyond the building scale to include approach. The next version of LEED will
neighborhoods, communities and even be a step in the process that supports the
cities. Today, the global community of LEED built environment’s alignment with the
projects is over 100,000 strong. targets outlined in the Paris Agreement and
addresses critical imperatives including
There is, however, incredible responsibility equity, health, biodiversity and resilience.
that comes along with developing the
LEED green building rating system. How
can humanity drastically transform its
approach to the buildings and communities
where we live, work, learn and play in
such a short time? What started as a self-
imposed timeline has become more urgent
as we acknowledge that without a radical

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U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL THE FUTURE OF LEED

The principles included in this document are the result of deep and
meaningful conversations with the LEED community over the past
several months. They represent what we have heard from volunteers,
members, stakeholders and many others who are connected through
the green building movement, and they will guide our work as we chart
the course ahead.

Sharing this now is meant to be an opening to additional inputs for

how LEED evolves, both for technical requirements and as a market
transformation tool.

As we began exploring the goals for the next version of LEED, we found
ourselves thinking about the role that LEED needs to play. LEED needs
to continue to fulfill its roles as a driver of market transformation and
as an enabler of actions on all projects, and a symbol of leadership
for others to follow. LEED must raise expectations of what is possible
and necessary, and doing so in a way that helps put every building on
a path to improved performance. We are taking account of who we
need to serve now and recognize that LEED continues to play multiple
important roles in driving progress across the entire market.

LEED must meet the needs of an incredibly wide and diverse audience,
while at the same time, never relenting in its pursuit of market
transformation.

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U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL THE FUTURE OF LEED

Equip As the rating system evolves to meet the most pressing concerns of
today, it will need to be more than guidance. LEED will need to be a
tool for transformative and high-performance buildings. It will need
to have built-in requirements that support leadership actions at every
level. This means establishing resources that function as on-ramps to
data reporting and progressive steps that move projects forward in
their adoption of strategies that get them to LEED certification at the
highest levels.
Incentivize
leadership LEED will help drive the building sector to carbon neutrality while
promoting health, equity, resilience, and the wise, safe use of all
resources. To achieve this, USGBC will keep what is working well,
amend what needs to be adjusted, and fearlessly rethink what needs
to be overhauled.

Require Join us. These conversations are ongoing, and it will take our collective

performance knowledge, passion and commitment to achieve these goals.

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U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL THE FUTURE OF LEED

+ Scale for greatest impact.

+ Decarbonize the building industry

swiftly to reflect the urgency of the
climate crisis.
PRINCIPLES

+ Inspire and recognize adaptive and

resilient built environments.

+ Invest in human health and well-being.

+ Create environments in which

diversity, equity and inclusivity thrive.

+ Support flourishing ecosystems

through regenerative development
practices.

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U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL THE FUTURE OF LEED

SCALE FOR GREATEST IMPACT

The problems that we face demand solutions
at the global scale. We will increase the
impact of LEED by making compliance simple,
intuitive and barrier-free. We will provide
streamlined tools and pathways for more
buildings, portfolios, cities and communities
to engage. We will leverage ESG reporting
frameworks, performance standards and
local regulation to drive, recognize and reward
continuous performance tracking.

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U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL
SCALE FOR GREATEST IMPACT
WHAT’S NOW
• Inspire leaders in the industry to take action.
Engage with key industry stakeholders to ensure
that LEED is aligned with frameworks for green
financing, investment and disclosure and that
it becomes an effective tool for corporate ESG
reporting.
• Focus on existing buildings to ensure that
all projects have options to track and report
performance data and to use it as an on-ramp to
LEED certification.
• Establish that buildings designed and constructed
to LEED standards must also be operated to
LEED standards. Set the time frame for a LEED
for Building Design and Construction certification
to three years. Evolve the industry to transition
buildings to LEED for Existing Buildings:
Operations and Maintenance.
THE FUTURE OF LEED
WHAT’S NEXT
• Launch a single, streamlined platform to
simplify compliance and promote meaningful
engagement with projects throughout their life
cycle.
• Reduce the documentation burden for
certification while maintaining the rigor of third-
party verification.
• Improve data management and reporting to
support continuous improvement of LEED
products and inform smarter decisions.
• Create a pathway for a broader set of the
marketplace, including buildings and portfolios,
to validate sustainable performance.
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U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL THE FUTURE OF LEED

DECARBONIZE THE BUILDING

INDUSTRY SWIFTLY TO REFLECT THE
URGENCY OF THE CLIMATE CRISIS

LEED can spearhead the deep decarbonization

of the built environment and propel market
transformation toward achieving the 2030 and
2050 Paris Climate Accord targets. We will employ
a comprehensive suite of strategies to reduce
emissions from operations, materials, construction,
refrigerants and transportation, while promoting
carbon sequestration and net positive outcomes.
Accountability for performance is imperative.

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U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL
DECARBONIZE THE BUILDING INDUSTRY SWIFTLY TO REFLECT THE URGENCY OF THE CLIMATE CRISIS
WHAT’S NOW
• Update minimum operational energy
standards.
• Establish decarbonization pathways
for new and existing buildings.
• Encourage leadership by exploring:
» Platinum-level requirements for operational
decarbonization (scope 1) (BD+C)
» Operational carbon standards for the
Platinum level (O+M)
» Embodied carbon reductions at Platinum
level (BD+C)
WHAT’S NEXT
NEW CONSTRUCTION:
• Require zero-carbon readiness for
normal operations.
• Require actions for decarbonizations
at the building, community and city
levels. LEED projects will:
» Prioritize reductions from on-site
combustion, lowering peak heating and
cooling loads and grid harmonization.
» Reduce embodied carbon.
» Establish minimal requirements for electric
vehicle charging.
» Use refrigerants with lower GWP.
» Use construction equipment and techniques
that are less carbon-intensive.
» Supply data on carbon emissions.
• Explore Gold- and Platinum-level
requirements for operational
decarbonization (scope 1) (BD+C).
THE FUTURE OF LEED
EXISTING BUILDINGS:
• Projects will submit plans to
decarbonize and report on milestones
along a decarbonization trajectory.
MORE AMBITIOUS REQUIREMENTS
WILL BE PHASED INTO LEED OVER
TIME:
• Achieve carbon neutrality for normal
operations (scope 1) and meet more
ambitious targets for embodied
carbon, refrigerants and vehicle
charging (BD+C).
• Achieve carbon neutrality for normal
operations (scope 1) and meet more
ambitious targets for embodied
carbon, refrigerants and vehicle
charging (O+M).
• Establish pathways for carbon
positive buildings (scope 1+2+3). 9
U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL THE FUTURE OF LEED

INSPIRE AND RECOGNIZE ADAPTIVE AND RESILIENT BUILT ENVIRONMENTS

LEED can address our changing climate by proactively identifying risks and integrating adaptation strategies.
In doing so, LEED will mainstream proficiency in resilience in the real estate community, facilitating
absorption and recovery from disruptive events. LEED requirements will be evaluated through a resilience
lens.

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U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL
INSPIRE AND RECOGNIZE ADAPTIVE AND RESILIENT BUILT ENVIRONMENTS
WHAT’S NOW
• Educate and engage project teams how to
assess and identify their climate risks
THE FUTURE OF LEED
WHAT’S NEXT
• Projects will have tools to address their climate
risks, including opportunities to serve needs that
are relevant to their role in the community.
• New buildings will have a building-specific
survivability assessment and will be designed with
systems that can maintain appropriate habitability.
• Existing buildings will have a plan to provide
appropriate habitability.
• There will be additional emphasis on requirements
that encourage the choice of smart systems and
resilient locations.
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U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL THE FUTURE OF LEED

INVEST IN HUMAN HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

Human health is a longstanding value of LEED. LEED will

continue to motivate investment in healthy materials and
quality indoor and outdoor environments. LEED projects will
understand their community health needs, shifting from single
acts to a holistic approach to mental and physical health
promotion. LEED will explore new focus areas while integrating
concepts currently in the pilot phase, including active design,
water quality testing and addressing health disparities.

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U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL
INVEST IN HUMAN HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
WHAT’S NOW
• Promote project understanding and communication
of the quality of indoor environments through
feedback and data.
• Require that all LEED projects take actions to improve
indoor air quality and address foundational mental
and physical health needs (including current health
hazards).
• Support public health, well-being and safety by
prioritizing resilient and people-oriented site design.
THE FUTURE OF LEED
WHAT’S NEXT
• Projects will use multi-attribute optimized products
and materials that improve human and ecological
health.
• Establish areas of the green building product
ecosystems we want to amplify through
harmonization and amplify areas we want to lead on.
• Combat existing health disparities. Health focus areas
will include climate change impacts on health and
health risks associated with construction and worker
safety.
• Establish pathways to enhance water stewardship
and water quality.
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U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL THE FUTURE OF LEED

CREATE ENVIRONMENTS IN WHICH

DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSIVITY THRIVE
Market transformation requires equitable access for all to
the benefits of green building, particularly for people who
have been denied or are currently without access. LEED’s
development process must be inclusive and reflect the
diversity of the global green building stakeholder community.
LEED integrates core values for social equity and human rights,
throughout supply chains, construction and operations. LEED
buildings must be sensitive to the needs of underresourced
frontline communities disproportionately burdened by the
health and well-being impacts of a changing climate and will
enable a more just transition to a carbon-neutral economy.

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U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL
CREATE ENVIRONMENTS IN WHICH DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSIVITY THRIVE
WHAT’S NOW
• Increase access to LEED.
• Engage a diverse audience so that we can better
represent those impacted by and working
with the built environment, such as taking
active steps to increase diversity, equity and
inclusion in our industry, including among
accredited professionals, volunteer committees,
stakeholder consultation and decision-making
processes.
THE FUTURE OF LEED
WHAT’S NEXT
• Require that LEED projects take actions to further
outcomes in diversity, equity and inclusion in the
buildings industry and in the neighborhoods where
LEED buildings are located.
• Promote diversity, equity and inclusion in
development, design and construction teams.
• Address forced and child labor in the supply chain.
• Explore ways to take accountability for inequities
and increase funding and engagement for climate-
or health-related improvements in low-income or
community projects.
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U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL THE FUTURE OF LEED

SUPPORT FLOURISHING ECOSYSTEMS THROUGH

REGENERATIVE DEVELOPMENT PRACTICES

The built environment will work in harmony with ecological systems to

promote life for all beings. Urban, suburban and rural locations will be
empowered, resilient and self-sustaining communities. LEED will promote
criteria for site selection, site design, building design, building operations
and materials selection that will preserve or restore productive land, water
systems and habitat.

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U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL THE FUTURE OF LEED

SUPPORT FLOURISHING ECOSYSTEMS THROUGH REGENERATIVE DEVELOPMENT PRACTICES

WHAT’S NOW WHAT’S NEXT

• Recognize local and regional leadership and • Engage every site. Protect sensitive areas.
integrate third-party tools, prioritizing low- • Support biophilic design, regional or local food,
impact, regenerative, human-scale development transportation, energy and water systems.
and sustainable mobility. • Conserve, restore and create beneficial ecosystems.
• Engage with key stakeholders to ensure • Conserve and enhance biodiversity.
that LEED offerings for local governments,
existing communities and new neighborhood
development are accessible, globally relevant
and integrated with LEED products for buildings.

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usgbc.org/LEED