WASHINGTON — The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) today announced the release of LEED v5, a major update to its globally recognized Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. Marking a new chapter in the green building movement, LEED v5 enhances the program’s technological tools and sharpens its focus on health, decarbonization, and resilience, while building upon the 25-year legacy of LEED’s impact worldwide.

"Since its public launch 25 years ago, LEED has profoundly impacted millions of people in cities and communities around the world,” said Peter Templeton, president and CEO of USGBC. “LEED v5 raises the bar, further defining and evolving best practices and giving stakeholders across the building industry clear pathways to address today’s challenges to our health, climate, and communities.”

Responding to Modern Sustainability Needs

Developed with insights from thousands of green building professionals, LEED v5 responds to urgent challenges in sustainability, health, and resilience. It emphasizes areas such as decarbonization, human well-being, and ecological protection to better define what it means to be a high-performing building today, while offering clear investment opportunities for stakeholders.

In LEED v5, decarbonization is prioritized like never before, making up half of the available certification points. Projects are guided to deliver ultra-low-carbon buildings, addressing emissions across operations, embodied carbon, refrigerants, and transportation. All LEED v5 buildings will conduct an operational carbon projection and are provided with strategic tools to plan long-term decarbonization efforts.

Meanwhile, quality of life credits have been expanded to focus on health and wellness strategies that benefit both building occupants and surrounding communities. With growing global demand for healthier spaces, transparency and accountability in building sustainability are now more critical than ever.

Building for a Resilient Future

A key focus of LEED v5 is resilience—both human and ecological. Every project will now complete a climate resilience assessment to better understand and address vulnerabilities, protect ecosystems, and ensure long-term business continuity. The system offers a range of strategies that can be implemented throughout the building lifecycle to minimize risks and safeguard community prosperity.

“Investors, owners, occupants, and policymakers are asking for high-performing buildings that reduce emissions, mitigate climate risk, provide healthy, productive spaces, positively impact communities, and protect natural systems,” said Sarah Zaleski, chief products officer of USGBC. “LEED v5 provides the best practices and accountability to drive performance across all these dimensions, delivering tangible benefits to building owners and their stakeholders.”

Driving Economic and Environmental Value

LEED-certified buildings continue to demonstrate strong financial performance. Data shows that LEED properties command a 21.4% higher average market sales price per square foot, achieve 11% higher rent rates, attract better financing options, and significantly lower consumption of water, energy, and waste—often by more than 20%.

"For more than two decades, LEED has played a critical role in transforming the real estate sector at a global scale by bridging the gap between sustainability and commercial value,” said Anica Landreneau, senior principal and director of sustainability at HOK. “It has empowered organizations to develop high-performance buildings that significantly reduce environmental impacts and provide healthier, more resilient spaces for occupants, while also supporting the achievement of business goals."

Tailoring Sustainability Stories to Every Project

Through rigorous third-party certification, LEED allows building owners to clearly demonstrate their sustainability achievements. Under LEED v5, all certified projects will receive detailed impact reports, enabling teams to communicate results with internal and external stakeholders. Additionally, a new project priorities category offers the flexibility to customize LEED certification to fit local contexts and market sectors around the world.

Transparency and accountability remain at the core of the certification process, helping project teams deliver on ambitious design goals with verifiable outcomes.

“LEED v5 represents a bold step forward in transforming the built environment,” said Grace Kwok, chief sustainability strategist at AEC Capital Limited. “It emphasizes climate resilience, recognizing the need to adapt our built environment to a changing climate. We have the privilege to complete the first LEED v5 project in Asia, with ICC (International Commerce Centre) setting a new benchmark and leading the charge for innovation and excellence in green buildings.”

The creation of LEED v5 was a collaborative effort involving extensive feedback from the USGBC’s international community. In 2024 alone, more than 7,000 comments from LEED users worldwide shaped the final version. USGBC members officially ratified the updated system earlier this year, ensuring it reflects global expertise and consensus.

LEED v5 registration is now open for new construction, interior, and existing commercial building projects through USGBC’s certification platform.

About the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is dedicated to transforming the built environment to mitigate climate change impacts while enhancing human health and community well-being. USGBC drives market transformation through LEED, green building certifications, educational programs, global networks, the Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, the Center for Green Schools, and policy advocacy. To learn more, visit usgbc.org and follow USGBC on X, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Originally reported by Business Wire.