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What
is LEED®?
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building
Rating System™ encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable
green building and development practices through the creation and implementation
of universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria.
LEED is a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted
benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance
green buildings. LEED gives building owners and operators the tools
they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’
performance. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability
by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental
health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency,
materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
Who uses LEED?
Architects, real estate professionals, facility managers, engineers,
interior designers, landscape architects, construction managers, lenders
and government officials all use LEED to help transform the built environment
to sustainability. State and local governments across the country are
adopting LEED for public-owned and public-funded buildings; there are
LEED initiatives in federal agencies, including the Departments of Defense,
Agriculture, Energy, and State; and LEED projects are in progress in
41 different countries, including Canada, Brazil, Mexico and India.
How is LEED Developed?
LEED Rating Systems are developed through an open, consensus-based process
led by LEED committees. Each volunteer committee is composed of a diverse
group of practitioners and experts representing a cross-section of the
building and construction industry. The key elements of USGBC's consensus
process include a balanced and transparent committee structure, technical
advisory groups that ensure scientific consistency and rigor, opportunities
for stakeholder comment and review, member ballot of new rating systems,
and a fair and open appeals process.
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