LEED 2009 Now Open for Public Comment

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) on May 20 opened the first public comment period on LEED® 2009, the next evolution of the LEED green building certification system. The public comment period will be open until June 22. LEED 2009, according to the USGBC, represents a reorganization of the existing LEED rating systems for commercial buildings, combined with a series of major technical advancements focused on improving energy efficiency, reducing carbon emissions, and addressing other environmental and human health outcomes. The LEED Green Building Rating System was developed by USGBC in 2000 to drive market transformation in the building industry by defining a consensus metric for leadership in green building that forms a basis for continuous improvement. Detailed information about specific proposed technical changes to the rating system can be found in the background documents that accompany the public comment forms on USGBC’s Web site.