Given the increase in climate events, is there a category within LEED that the USGBC is looking to focus on more?
Resilience is a major focus area in LEED v5. In fact, this new version includes a Climate Resilience Assessment prerequisite that asks project teams to evaluate both current and future climate hazards and incorporate that risk into planning and design.
This increased focus reflects what many regions, including the Carolinas, are already experiencing: more frequent and intense storms, rising heat, and other shifting climate conditions that affect safety, infrastructure, and overall quality of life. LEED v5 responds by going beyond protecting buildings and systems; it also provides strategies that prioritize safe, healthy, and functional environments for occupants during and after climate-related events.
This direction was shaped by USGBC’s member network, including input from experts through the Resilience Working Group, to ensure LEED v5 meaningfully addresses resilience as a core issue and drives long-term, measurable impact. You can learn more about resilience credits here.
With energy reliance being a core topic globally, have you seen an increase in interest?
As energy reliability becomes a global pressure point, interest in LEED has continued to climb because it offers quantifiable pathways to reduce demand, improve efficiency, and strengthen resilience. Additionally, decarbonization is a key pillar of LEED v5 with more credits focused on energy efficiency and clean energy sources, helping projects develop a buffer against this volatility.
We’re also seeing rising interest in and demand for performance monitoring, which is where USGBC’s Arc platform can be especially helpful. Arc enables organizations to benchmark and track energy performance over time (at the building or portfolio level), identify trends and gaps, and translate data into clear metrics that support target-setting, progress reporting, and continuous improvement.
What’s got you excited about LEED v5 so far?
It’s been exciting to see high-profile, iconic projects become early adopters of LEED v5. The Empire State Building has already achieved LEED v5 Platinum and if you watched Alex Honnold’s free solo back in January, you may have spotted another LEED v5 Platinum building: Taipei 101. I’m especially excited to see two North Carolina universities with LEED v5 projects in the pipeline, which speaks to the standard’s strong momentum across higher education. Some other early adopters worth highlighting are the Miami Citigroup Center and BranchPattern in Omaha.
I’ve heard a lot of excitement from the community about this new version of LEED. LEED v5 was built by USGBC’s standard consensus-based development process around three themes: Decarbonization, Quality of Life, and Ecological Conservation & Restoration. It represents a significant advancement in green building standards to address critical challenges in the market today, truly raising the bar for design, construction, and operations. There are many upgrades, but here are some key new features:
- New requirements have been established for Platinum certification, which address energy efficiency, carbon emissions and renewable energy use.
- We are moving away from LEED adaptations and now have a project priority library that allows for greater customization of the LEED scorecard.
- New prerequisites introduce assessments for climate risk, human impact, and carbon emissions.
What should teams expect with LEED v5 as they start pursuing it?
Any transition comes with a learning curve, and one potential challenge is making sure project teams have the right tools and training to get up to speed quickly. USGBC has been working hard to deliver training and tools, like the LEED v5 reference guides bundles, which help providers support and execute successful LEED v5 projects. That said, we’re always looking to the LEED community for feedback, so everyone should feel encouraged to tell the USGBC team what would make implementation easier — and there’s more resources on the way!
Resources:
How are you all at USGBC advocating for policies that advance green building and energy efficiency?
USGBC staff advocate directly for green building, including decarbonization and community resilience policies at the local, state and federal levels. This includes crafting resources with policymakers, providing technical assistance to facilitate the writing of policy and implementation guidance, and supporting policies aligned with our mission through comment letters and testimony.
USGBC also supports our members and volunteers interested in advocating for green building and community resilience policies. This includes an Advocacy Working Group and Advocacy Committees (coming soon!) to facilitate activities, a monthly newsletter to share updates, and a library of resources to provide policy ideas and examples.
– Jennifer Gunby, Associate Director, Advocacy & Policy, USGBC
Who are you seeing most frequently pursuing LEED?
LEED is the most widely used green building rating system in the world, with projects in 196 countries worldwide and all 50 U.S. states. The diversity of projects is astounding and inspiring.
USGBC released the top states for LEED in March, which included a strong East Coast presence —Massachusetts took the lead for the second year! With office buildings and higher education projects being the largest LEED adopters, with the focus on creating healthy and efficient spaces for occupants. Innovation-focused sectors like life sciences, data centers, and manufacturing are increasingly pursuing LEED, especially in the Carolinas. Large-scale projects like airports and sports and entertainment venues, and recertification through LEED Operations and Maintenance (LEED O+M) is helping to raise performance in existing buildings.
Want more insight like this as LEED v5 rolls out? Subscribe to Southern Energy’s newsletter for updates on green building standards, energy policy, and what they mean for your projects.
And a big thank you to Melissa and the team at USGBC for their time to chat with us about LEED program updates!
Curious about LEED for Your Project?
Our building performance and green certification team can help you map out LEED certification prerequisites, credits, and timelines before you break ground. Schedule a meeting to get started with a project review.
