LEED v5 second public comment period open — emphasis on embodied carbon

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification program was first launched in 1998, and is now the most popular green building certification scheme in the world. With the rise of global sustainability targets like Net Zero by 2050, regulations like CALGreen and Buy Clean, and independent businesses targeting carbon reduction goals, updates to the LEED certification scheme will help decarbonize the construction industry as a whole.

LEED v5 sets out to shape the future of sustainable building, emphasizing decarbonization, quality of life, and ecological conservation through its three central pillars: operational and embodied carbon reduction, enhanced occupant health and equity, and restoration of ecosystems. Learn more during a Live Q&A with USGBC-TX on November 7th.

Strategic evolution of LEED v5: Advancing decarbonization and sustainability

LEED v5 targets decarbonization across multiple emissions sources: operational, embodied carbon, refrigerants, and transportation. The rating system is structured to drive the industry towards near-zero emissions by incorporating these elements into a cohesive framework that supports low-carbon strategies and performance improvements. LEED v5 is also distinguished by its commitment to quality of life, including health, well-being, and equity for both occupants and communities. This goes beyond energy efficiency, ensuring that built environments are both environmentally and socially sustainable. Additionally, ecological conservation plays a critical role in LEED v5, with credits designed to limit environmental degradation and promote ecosystem restoration, helping projects integrate nature-positive strategies​.

Technical overview of LEED v5’s carbon reduction strategy

LEED v5 takes a more comprehensive approach to carbon reduction by addressing both operational carbon (energy used during the building's lifetime) and embodied carbon (carbon associated with the building materials and construction). For the first time, LEED v5 includes credits specifically aimed at minimizing the embodied carbon footprint. These credits are part of the Materials and Resources scorecard, which includes:

• Whole building life-cycle assessment (LCA): Projects must now assess the embodied carbon impacts of major building components, including structural, enclosure, and hardscape materials​.
• Low-embodied carbon construction materials: LEED v5 encourages the procurement of materials with lower embodied carbon, rewarding projects that actively reduce the carbon intensity of the materials they use​.
• Environmental product declaration (EPD) analysis: Projects can earn credits by analyzing EPDs of materials used, ensuring that their supply chain decisions are both transparent and environmentally responsible​.

These technical improvements in LEED v5 reflect the growing awareness that materials play a crucial role in a building's overall sustainability profile, a shift that is especially important for those targeting Platinum-level certification, which now requires near-zero carbon emissions from both operational and embodied sources​.

Updates from the first public comment period

The first public comment period for LEED v5 yielded nearly 6,000 comments across the Building Design and Construction (BD+C), Interior Design and Construction (ID+C), and Operations and Maintenance (O+M) rating systems. In response, several significant changes were made. For example, the Climate and Natural Hazard Resilience Assessment requirements were expanded to cover more natural hazard considerations and renamed Climate Resilience Assessment, while the Social Equity Assessment was renamed the Human Impact Assessment, focusing on clearer quantitative and qualitative data collection. Credits such as Resilient Site Design and Occupant Experience were restructured for improved clarity and flexibility​.

The Materials and Resources (MR) credit, which includes prerequisites for comparing the embodied carbon impacts of structural, enclosure, and hardscape materials, was also renamed to Building Product Disclosure and Optimization, with the Optimized Product Valuation table moved to a separate document to allow easier updates.

These updates reflect LEED’s focus on improving transparency, flexibility, and global applicability​.

Technical improvements across key credit categories

LEED v5 introduces several technical advancements to the Energy and Atmosphere (EA) and Water Efficiency (WE) categories. In response to feedback, the Enhanced Commissioning credit now aligns required effort with available points, and refrigerant management requirements were clarified for projects served by a District Energy Systems (DES). Meanwhile, the Enhanced Water Efficiency credit offers a new option path for project-wide water use analysis, simplifying compliance for more complex projects​.

Performance-driven approach and streamlined credits

One of the major goals of LEED v5 is to streamline performance indicators across the building’s life-cycle. In Operations and Maintenance (O+M), the number of individual strategies was reduced from over 65 to 24, with the focus shifted to performance-based outcomes. Approximately 80% of the points in LEED v5 are connected to performance, with 20% related to strategies. This reflects feedback from users who appreciated the performance-based approach in LEED v4.1​.

How One Click LCA supports LEED v5 compliance

Given LEED v5’s focus on embodied carbon, tools like One Click LCA help project teams meet the new requirements by automating life-cycle assessments (LCAs) and producing environmental product declarations (EPDs). These tools provide accurate data to support compliance with LEED v5’s prerequisites for Carbon Assessment and its various material and energy efficiency credits. One Click LCA facilitates faster, more scalable compliance by integrating carbon reduction strategies across a building's life-cycle​. One Click LCA has been a long-time provider of LEED specific tools, and has a proven track record with multiple major projects achieving LEED certification using One Click LCA. The LCA for LEED tool will be updated with the latest requirements when LEED v5 is officially adopted in 2025. 

As a commercial partner of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), One Click LCA offers a discount to all USGBC members. Contact us to learn more. 

In addition to providing tools to help architects, designers, and engineers achieve LEED certification on their projects, One Click LCA offers free educational resources through its online Academy to anyone interested in learning more about LEED. Learn how to achieve whole building LCA and EPD credits, the significance of embodied carbon, and gain practical experience with the One Click LCA LEED tool by enrolling in the on-demand course, LCA for LEED v4.

A forward-thinking framework: building for the future

LEED v5 is not merely a reflection of current building practices — it is designed to drive the market towards a sustainable, low-carbon future. By aligning design, construction, and operational phases with long-term sustainability goals, LEED v5 ensures that projects are equipped to meet evolving regulatory and market demands. This forward-looking approach includes a new digital interface and user experience designed to support flexible compliance paths and offer tools that evolve with the market​. 

With its second public comment period open until October 28, 2024, LEED v5 continues to integrate global feedback to refine a rating system that raises the bar for sustainability. The system's emphasis on decarbonization, quality of life, and ecological conservation ensures that buildings certified under LEED v5 will be resilient, equitable, and efficient for years to come. The LEED v5 registration period is expected to open in early 2025, following the incorporation of final public comments and member ratification​.