Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design

Green buildings are an integral part of the solution to the environmental challenges facing the planet. Today we use the equivalent of 1.5 Earths to meet the resource needs of everyday life and absorb the resulting wastes. This measure of our planet’s carrying capacity means that it takes Earth 18 months to regenerate what is used in only 12 months. If current trends continue, estimates suggest, by the year 2030 we will need the equivalent of two planets. Turning resources into waste faster than they can be regenerated puts the planet into ecological overshoot, a clearly unsustainable condition that we all must address. 

Buildings account for a significant portion of greenhouse gas emissions; in the U.S., buildings are associated with 38% of all emissions of carbon dioxide; globally, the figure is nearly one-third. The problem is anticipated to worsen as developing countries attain higher standards of living. These forces are bringing us to a tipping point, a threshold beyond which Earth cannot rebalance itself without major disruption to the systems that humans and other species rely on for survival.   

Buildings have a major role to play in sustainability through their construction, the lifetime of their operation, and patterns of development. As Earth’s population continues to increase, construction and renovation of buildings expand even more rapidly. For example, estimates for the U.S. indicate that two-thirds of the structures that will exist in 2050 will have been built between now and then. What we build today and where we build it are profoundly important. 

The forces driving this situation are numerous. Human population has increased exponentially in the past 60 years, from about 2.5 billion in 1950 to more than 7 billion today. Our linear use of resources, treating outputs as waste, is responsible for the toxins that are accumulating in the atmosphere, in water, and on the ground. This pattern of extraction, use, and disposal has hastened depletion of finite supplies of nonrenewable energy, water, and materials and is accelerating the pace of our greatest problem—climate change. 

The LEED rating systems aim to promote a transformation of the construction industry through strategies designed to achieve seven goals.

1. To reverse contribution to global climate change.
2. To enhance individual human health and well-being.
3. To protect and restore water resources.
4. To promote, enhance, and restore biodiversity and ecosystem services.
5. To promote sustainable and regenerative material resources cycles.
6. To build a greener economy.
7. To enhance social equity, environmental justice, community health, and quality of life

LEED is designed to address environmental challenges while responding to the needs of a competitive market. Certification demonstrates leadership, innovation, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility. LEED gives building owners and operators the tools they need to immediately improve both building performance and the bottom line while providing healthful indoor spaces for a building’s occupants. LEED-certified buildings are designed to deliver the following benefits:

• Lower operating costs and increased asset value.
• Reduced waste sent to landfills.
• Energy and water conservation.
• More healthful and productive environments for occupants.
• Reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
• Qualification for tax rebates, zoning allowances, and other incentives in many cities.

By participating in LEED, owners, operators, designers, and builders make a meaningful contribution to the green building industry. By documenting and tracking buildings’ resource use, they contribute to a growing body of knowledge that will advance research in this rapidly evolving field. This will allow future projects to build on the successes of today’s designs and bring innovations to the market.   

LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) is the most widely used green building rating system in the world. Available for virtually all building types. LEED provides a framework for healthy, high efficient and cost saving green buildings. LEED Certified buildings is a global recognized symbol of sustainability, achievement and leadership. Millions of people are living, working and learning in LEED-certified buildings across the world.

The process begins when the owner selects the rating system and registers the project. The project is then designed to meet the requirements for all prerequisites and for the credits the team has chosen to pursue. After documentation has been submitted for certification, a project goes through preliminary and final reviews. The preliminary review provides technical advice on credits that require additional work for achievement, and the final review contains the project’s final score and certification level. The decision can be appealed if a team believes additional consideration is warranted. 

LEED has four levels of certification, depending on the point thresholds achieved:   

• Certified, 40–49 points 
• Silver, 50–59 points 
• Gold, 60–79 points 
• Platinum, 80 points and above.