USGBC Unveils LEED v5 Resources to Accelerate Carbon Reduction and Building Performance

WASHINGTON, DC — The US Inexperienced Constructing Council (USGBC) has formally opened certification for the LEED v5 score system, the newest model of the world’s most generally used inexperienced constructing normal. Together with the rollout, USGBC launched new instruments, guides, and academic assets designed to assist constructing groups undertake the system’s expanded give attention to decarbonization, resilience, and occupant well being.

The announcement comes forward of this week’s Greenbuild Worldwide Convention and Expo in Los Angeles, the place USGBC will host workshops, shows, and hands-on coaching periods to assist customers put LEED v5 into apply.

LEED v5 Builds on Efficiency and Individuals

“Since releasing the score system and launching LEED v5 registration earlier this yr, we’ve got seen curiosity in utilizing the brand new score system unfold throughout the business,” stated Peter Templeton, president and CEO of USGBC. “Recognizing that LEED v5 is a big step ahead, we’re dedicated to serving to our neighborhood perceive and apply the brand new components by offering USGBC members and LEED customers with detailed assets and enhanced assist.”

LEED v5 affords a transparent framework for buildings to achieve near-zero carbon efficiency, whereas additionally prioritizing the resilience and well-being of constructing occupants and surrounding communities. In response to a report from Cushman and Wakefield, LEED-certified properties proceed to point out measurable enterprise worth by means of increased occupancy charges, elevated rents, and improved asset values.

New Instruments to Drive Undertaking Success 

Groups can now certify initiatives beneath the LEED v5 platform utilizing new scorecards that target three key influence areas:

Complementing the scorecards are a collection of digital instruments—together with calculators, a scorecard builder, and a decarbonization workbook—designed to information undertaking groups from planning by means of certification. The newest LEED v5 Reference Guides develop on earlier previews with deeper technical explanations and undertaking examples, whereas further coaching and studying assets will proceed rolling out by means of 2026.

To simplify a number of certifications, USGBC has additionally launched new crosswalks between LEED v5 and WELL (developed with the Worldwide WELL Constructing Institute) and LEED v5 and SITES, serving to groups align sustainability, wellness, and panorama targets inside one workflow.

A Clear Path to Low-Carbon Operations 

LEED v5 takes a decisive step towards the business’s net-zero carbon future. Platinum-level initiatives now require measurable carbon reductions, setting the next benchmark for sustainability management. The system can also be designed to be extra accessible, permitting a broader vary of constructing varieties to pursue ultra-low carbon and high-performance targets.

Early adopters of the LEED v5 Operations and Upkeep (O+M) framework have already seen outcomes. Greater than 20 initiatives have earned certification by means of beta testing, demonstrating measurable vitality and water financial savings, improved occupant satisfaction, and stronger return on funding by means of operational efficiencies.

“LEED certification represents not solely a technical normal, but in addition a real image of status inside the neighborhood,” stated Felipe Flores, Director of Operations at Reichmann Worldwide and Administrator of Torre Diana, a LEED v5 Platinum-certified undertaking in Mexico Metropolis. “We’ve seen how this recognition builds belief and pleasure amongst tenants and employees, creating lasting relationships and a stronger sense of belonging.”

Trade Management Continues at Greenbuild 2025

USGBC will showcase the newest LEED v5 case research and assets on the Greenbuild Worldwide Convention and Expo, held Nov. 4–7 on the Los Angeles Conference Middle. Attendees can discover USGBC’s periods by way of the Greenbuild Content material Hub, www.usgbc.org/greenbuild. 

Word: this launch was rewritten with assist from generative AI.