When it comes to sustainable design, there is some good news and some bad news. The good news is that as of this writing, there are 3,387 LEED™-accredited professionals offering their design expertise. The bad news is that there are 3,387 LEED-accredited professionals offering their design expertise.
How is the same news both good and bad? Because even though LEED is a popular “eco-labeling program that doubles as a marketing and policy tool, it is not as successful at being a comprehensive methodology for assessment of environmental impacts.” This is just one of the less than enthusiastic conclusions of a recent study issued by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), titled Evaluation of LEED™ Using Life Cycle Assessment Methods, which can be found at http://www.bfrl.nist.gov/oae/publications/gcrs/02836.pdf.