What is LEED certification?

Buildings and communities that meet LEED standards produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions, which can help mitigate the effects of climate change. They typically also have lower operational costs and provide a higher quality of life for inhabitants.

LEED was created by the US Green Building Council (USGBC), a green building industry coalition founded in 1993 amid an increased cultural focus on environmental concerns. The goal was to create better buildings optimized “with people and nature in mind.”¹

The USGBC developed the first LEED rating system five years later, rating 19 pilot projects against LEED standards. In March 2000, the coalition publicly launched the rating system, which focused specifically on new construction. By 2004, 100 projects had earned LEED green building certification.

Over the years, LEED certification has extended into various markets, including school construction, interior design and existing buildings. In 2008, USGBC launched Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) to provide independent oversight of LEED certification.

GBCI also grants credentials to people recognized as knowledgeable in green building practices. Individuals who demonstrate foundational competency in green building practices are awarded credentials as LEED green associates. People demonstrating expertise in green building and a LEED rating system earn credentials as LEED APs (accredited professionals) with specialty.

To date, more than 108,000 LEED projects have received certification worldwide, while more than 203,000 individuals have earned LEED credentials.^{2, 3}

Greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon emissions, accelerate climate change. According to the International Energy Agency, direct and indirect carbon emissions from buildings account for more than a quarter of global energy emissions.⁴

On its website, USGBC frames LEED-certified buildings as critical for addressing climate change and meeting environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals. Building practices that meet LEED certification standards should:

• Reduce contributions to climate change.
• Enhance human health.
• Protect and restore water resources.
• Protect and enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services.
• Promote more sustainable and regenerative material cycles.
• Enhance community quality of life.

In addition to the sustainability benefits associated with LEED buildings and built environments, LEED projects have proven to be high-performing assets for investors and building owners. They boast lower operational costs over their lifecycles than non-LEED buildings, according to USGBC. Cost savings stem in part from energy-saving and energy-efficient building practices.

LEED certification processes cover all building types and building phases. LEED certification programs include:

This rating system focuses on new construction or major renovations. Eligible building types include schools, retail establishments, hospitality facilities, data centers, warehouses and distribution centers and healthcare facilities.

This system is for the complete “fit out”—the work performed to make an interior of a building ready for occupation—of commercial interiors, including retail and hospitality locations.

This system concentrates on building operations and performance in spaces that have been fully operational and occupied for at least a year.

This system is for new land development projects or redevelopment projects planned for residential uses, nonresidential uses or a combination of both.

This system is for new construction projects and major renovations of single-family and multi-family homes.

The LEED framework for cities and communities encourages the creation of sustainable plans for factors that contribute to quality of life in urban locations, including energy use, water efficiency, waste management and transportation.

LEED rating systems are updated periodically. The latest LEED systems are LEED v4.1 and LEED v5.

To be considered for LEED certification, projects must meet prerequisites related to size, boundaries and permanence—that is, the project must be a permanent structure on existing land.

Under LEED v4.1, projects can become eligible for certification by adhering to various LEED credit categories. Through these categories (delineated in the LEED credit library online), different project types can earn points. This point system is used to determine their certification levels.

Points are awarded based on category-specific criteria, with project teams encouraged to do the following actions:

There are four LEED certification levels awarded to projects based on the total number of points earned:

• LEED Certified: 40 to 49 points.
• LEED Silver Certification: 50 to 59 points.
• LEED Gold Certification: 60 to 79 points.
• LEED Platinum Certification: 80 or more points.