LEED Certification collects sustainable building practices that promote better buildings in terms of health, energy efficiency, and cost-saving. It is one of the most widespread green building rating systems in the world. The certification’s official website reports that 197,000 LEED projects are disseminated worldwide in 186 countries and territories.
LEED, or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, was established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) about 20 years ago. The organization was founded in 1993 by Rick Fedrizzi, David Gottfried, and Mike Italiano. They addressed the increasing urgency to face climate change and greenhouse gas emissions by creating the green building rating system that would later become LEED.
LEED v1.0 was the first version launched in 1998, and it began pilot testing 19 projects. Since then, multiple experts have made a number of improvements and changes that have resulted in LEED v4.1, issued in 2019. LEED v5 is currently under development and will be open for registration in early 2025. This new version will enable better alignment with an ever-evolving industry regarding decarbonization, ecosystem conservation and restoration, equity, health, and resilience.
Why LEED Certification
LEED Certification is a holistic system that enhances building potential by adhering to prerequisites and credits that address carbon, energy, water, and waste. LEED credits are divided as follows:
- 35% concern climate change;
- 20% are related to human health;
- 15% are linked to water resources;
- 10% affect biodiversity;
- 10% concern green economy;
- 5% refer to community and natural resources.
Thanks to this multifaced approach LEED-certified buildings aim to help the reduction of global climate change, enhance human health and quality of life, protect the ecosystem, and promote sustainable materials.
LEED is a flexible protocol; in fact, the rating system offers four different attainable levels:
- Platinum (80+ points);
- Gold (60-79 points);
- Silver (50-59 points);
- Certified (40-49 points).
In addition to that, LEED Certification adapts to different phases and building typologies, from new construction to operations and maintenance. In particular, to meet every building’s needs it offers six different rating systems:
- Building Design and Construction (BD+C): it provides guidelines for new constructions and major renovations. It includes features dedicated to schools, retail, hospitality, data centers, warehouses & distribution centers, and healthcare.
- Interior Design and Construction (ID+C): this version enables project teams to develop sustainable indoor spaces. It offers different options to suit both new and existing projects.
- Building Operations and Maintenance (O+M): the perfect rating for optimizing existing buildings making them more efficient concerning sustainability and well-being.
- Neighborhood Development (ND): it aims to enhance neighborhood spaces creating areas where communities can thrive.
- Homes: it seeks to improve spaces where people live to create comfort and a healthier environment that uses less energy.
- Cities: it is intended to help local leaders create sustainable plans to renew communities and neighborhoods.
Embarking on a LEED journey brings many benefits to a business strategy, including increased property value and reduced operating costs. Furthermore, this strategy can lead to increased worker productivity, creating a positive impact on both the organization and its stakeholders.
The benefits of LEED certification for buildings
Compliance with decarbonization goals and the EU taxonomy, as well as the growing urgency of climate risk, makes it essential to integrate sustainability strategies throughout all phases of a building’s life cycle. LEED Certification provides an efficient green building rating system enabling Clients to meet the above-mentioned needs. Moreover, pursuing LEED certification can bring other benefits to business practices: having a higher average sales price on the market, reducing operational costs, and becoming more reliable for investors. According to the first Italian research on the value of LEED-certified buildings, carried out by REBuild in collaboration with CBRE and GBCI Europe, the recognized increase in value is between 7% and 11% compared to
For a long time, buildings that met defined sustainability goals could benefit from “green premium”, which refers to additional value related to buildings that reach certain standards, increasing their price and attractiveness for investors. In recent years a transformation has been underway, moving from “green premium” to “brown discount” in the assessment of environmental and sustainability building performance. “Brown discount” is associated with buildings that are not energy-efficient or environmentally friendly. In today’s market scenario, this non-compliance with environmental standards could result in fines and penalties, affecting property values. It may, for instance, become necessary to purchase carbon credits to compensate for emissions and comply with environmental regulations. This transition highlights the growing importance of sustainable practices in the real estate market.
LEED Certification has changed over time trying to keep up with this evolving market and its needs. Including this protocol in a building project means following high sustainable standards and achieving the goals set. Furthermore, to better enhance the Social (S) aspects of ESG points, it is possible to complement the LEED journey with WELL Certification, designed to create better indoor spaces focusing on people’s health and well-being.
GET approach to LEED Certification
GET Consulting team consists of sustainability, energy, and decarbonization Consultants ready to create the finest consultancy strategy to meet the Client’s need to achieve LEED Certification.
GET can support all project steps, from design to construction to maintenance. Our portfolio is enriched with new assignments every year developing a strong specialization in the sector that enables GET to stay up-to-date and accompany the Client towards achieving targeted goals.
Aligned with GET’s vision, LEED Certification is an excellent tool to achieve the desired transformation.
