The U.S. Green Building Council’s new version of the LEED green building program – LEED v4.1 – is now available for cities, communities and homes. LEED v4.1 certification recognizes leadership by emphasizing performance monitoring, fully integrated design, social equity and human health factors.
“LEED v4.1 makes LEED the first green performance standard for buildings, communities and cities,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO, U.S. Green Building Council. “It is the most comprehensive, collaborative, accessible and effective LEED system to date. This newest release complements the full suite of LEED v4.1 rating systems that are available today. We are excited and optimistic for the future as we continuously work to ensure that LEED is not only the de facto leadership standard but also a living standard.”
For the LEED for Cities and LEED for Communities rating systems, LEED v4.1 expands on the earlier performance-based approach to deliver a comprehensive framework to support plan, design, operation and performance management phases of both new and existing cities and communities. The rating systems align with all the UN Sustainable Development Goals and incorporate leadership standards and best practices from complementary systems, like the previously integrated STAR Community Rating System, as well as the PEER, TRUE, EDGE and SITES programs. More than 90 cities and communities around the world, representing more than 1 billion people, are LEED-certified based on several factors, including water efficiency, energy, greenhouse gas emissions, materials and resources, quality of life, innovation and regional priorities.
“All over the world, leaders are recognizing the incredible opportunities that green building and green infrastructure present and a new generation of high-performance buildings, homes, communities and cities are emerging,” added Ramanujam. “The success of LEED v4.1 will depend on our commitment to listen to new voices and integrate global best practices”
LEED v4.1 registration is open for all project types and registration and rating system materials are now available online.