Nearly 20 years ago, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) introduced the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, rating system. The emergence of LEED helped define what it means to be a green building, and today there are more than 96,275 registered and certified buildings and spaces around the world. LEED has become the de facto leadership standard for green buildings, and, throughout its evolution, has emphasized continuous improvement. The latest version, LEED v4.1, raises the bar once more for the industry with a series of updates that prioritize ongoing building performance monitoring.
LEED has been adopted across industries and sectors, from commercial buildings to health care spaces and schools. There are more than 2,100 K-12 spaces and more than 4,600 higher education spaces certified globally. LEED’s flexibility and applicability to virtually all space types have enabled the rating system to support leaders who are creating healthier and more sustainable spaces for people.