By: Christina Rogelio, LEED AP BD+C, GGP
The LEED green building rating system has encouraged construction building projects to adopt green building practices, and provides a framework to accomplish it. Our previous blog described what LEED is and Straughan’s role as the sustainability consultant for building projects certification. This post will describe the newest iteration of the LEED rating system, as it evolves to meet the needs of the current and future issues of the built environment.
Background of LEED: What is the current rating system (v4, v4.1, v5)? Where are we now?
LEED v4 developed the methodology for allocating points for each green building strategy, or “credit,” based on each credit’s ability to address the social, environmental, and economic outcomes identified by USGBC.
The LEED System Goals answer the question, “What should LEED accomplish?”
- Reverse contribution to global climate change
- Enhance individual health and well-being
- Protect and restore water resources
- Protect, enhance, and restore biodiversity and ecosystem services
- Promote sustainable and regenerative material resource cycles
- Build a greener economy
- Enhance social equity, environmental justice, and community quality of life
Whereas the LEED System Goals for v4 highlighted the credit categories (Integrative Process, Sustainable Sites, Location and Transportation, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, and Indoor Environmental Quality), LEED v5 focuses on three core goals: decarbonization, quality of life, and ecological conservation and restoration.
LEED v5 borrows the same framework, Checklist, credit categories, and most of the credits from v4 (and the beta update, v4.1, that was based on feedback from v4, to inform the next official rating system, LEED v5). However, the credit weightings in v5 are now based on these three goals or “impact areas”; all v5 credits are linked to these three goals. A second Checklist has also been created that shows the “Impact Area View” for all v5 credits, in addition to the original LEED Checklist format organized by credit category.
How will LEED v5 impact new and existing building projects?
For new and existing buildings seeking third-party green building certification, project teams can now register their new and existing building projects in Arc, the new submission platform from LEED Online, for v5. The following LEED v5 rating systems are now open to registration, as of April 2025:
- LEED v5 Building Design and Construction (BD+C): New Construction
- LEED v5 BD+C: Core and Shell
- LEED v5 Interior Design and Construction (ID+C): Commercial Interiors
- LEED v5 Operations and Maintenance (O+M): Existing Buildings
USGBC has published “Summary of Changes” documents for each of the rating systems above, showing side-by-side comparisons and key highlights, at the credit and prerequisite levels, from LEED v4 or v4.1 to LEED v5.
What happens to LEED v4?
For the projects that have registered to the LEED Online submission platform and are currently pursuing LEED v4 or v4.1certification, projects must complete their certification process by the sunset date. For LEED v4 (BD+C, ID+C, O&M, and O&M Recertification) and v4.1 (BD+C, ID+C, O&M), the certification sunset date is June 30, 2032, and the registration close is June 30, 2026. For LEED v4.1O+M Recertification, the certification sunset date is the same, but the registration date is June 30, 2027.
LEED v5: Impacts to Resiliency
Resilience is one of the principles [1] that has helped guide the development of LEED v5 [2]. The two other principles emphasize equity and decarbonization. To address resilient design, LEED has adopted new reference standards, including the definition of resilience from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): “the ability to prepare and plan for, absorb, recover from, and more successfully adapt to adverse events.” LEED awards resilient building projects that are better equipped to sustain and recover quickly from natural disasters, provide refuge for building occupants, maintain business operations, and reduce the strain on external emergency services.
Across the LEED v5 rating systems, listed above, USGBC has released new prerequisites and credits that address resilience, not only for supporting climate resilience, but also health resilience and occupant well-being.
For the BD+C rating system, the new prerequisites and credits include the following [3]:
- Climate Resilience Assessment prerequisite – One of five new credits in the Integrative Process (IP) category, this prerequisite requires projects to develop a climate resilience plan to assess and plan for potential climate-related risks that could impact the building’s performance and safety.
- Enhanced Resilient Site Design credit – This new Sustainable Sites (SS) credit requires designing and constructing the site to meet best practices for at least 2 high-priority hazards (drought, extreme heat, flooding, hail, hurricanes, tsunamis, wildfires, sea level rise, winter storms) that were identified for compliance in the above prerequisite.
- Resilient Spaces credit – One of two new Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) credits, this credit requires compliance with at least one of five design features that increase building occupant capacity to adapt and be protected from climate change events that compromise IEQ and occupant health: a) Management Mode for Episodic Outdoor Ambient Conditions, b) Management Mode for Respiratory Diseases, c) Design for Occupant Thermal Safety During Outages, d) Operable Windows.
For the O+M rating system, the new prerequisites and credits include the following [4]:
- Climate Resilience Assessment prerequisite – similar to BD+C, this is one of five new credits in the IP credit category.
- Operational Planning for Resilience credit – One of the five new IP credits, this credit requires projects to develop an emergency response plan that addresses the priority hazards identified in the climate resilience plan, above.
New Pilot credits have also been released [5], that address resilience.
- Resilience Information Summary pilot credit
- Resilience Hubs pilot credit
- Earthquake Resilient Spaces pilot credit
These credits have been included in the new Project Priorities (PR) credit category. Pilot credits that are not on the typical Checklist are included in this category and allow projects more opportunity and flexibility to achieve points and empower teams to pursue innovative design, construction, and operational strategies.
Building projects will be able to better respond and adapt to extreme weather events, rising temperatures, and disruptions to water and energy building systems provided by the LEED v5 requirements.
Contact sustainability@straughanenvironmental.com to discuss ways that our team of experts can support third-party green building certification or support other sustainability services specific to your project.
References:
[1] The USGBC “Future of LEED” document describes resilience as one of the principles used to guide the development of future LEED rating system versions. https://www.usgbc.org/resources/future-leed
[2] https://leeduser.buildinggreen.com/blog/leed-v5-preview-1-new-structure-hits-all-right-notes
[3] The new LEED v5 BD+C Reference Guide is now available here: https://www.usgbc.org/resources/leed-v5-rating-system-building-design-and-construction.
[4] The new LEED v5 O+M Reference Guide is now available here: https://www.usgbc.org/resources/leed-v5-rating-system-operations-and-maintenance.
[5] https://www.usgbc.org/articles/new-leed-v5-resilience-credits-provide-much-needed-guidance