In This Edition:

Law & Policy Updates:

..The LEED v4 (formerly LEED 2012) Controversy

..Related Industry Events

..Recent Article & News

..Questions or Comments?

Excerpt from Law & Policy Updates:

..The LEED v4 (formerly LEED 2012) Controversy

The US Green Building Council (USGBC) aspires to update its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system every few years, with a goal of continuously improving its sustainable building standards. There has been some controversy over the upcoming update (originally called LEED 2012, but now rebranded as LEED v4) and about whether the federal government, and more specifically, the US General Services Administration (GSA) will use LEED v4 to evaluate the level of sustainability of its building program for the next five years. This follows Congressional action late last year limiting the Department of Defense’s ability to pursue certain levels of LEED certification. While there are some broader philosophical disputes about the wisdom of the federal government adopting LEED standards, the controversy over the LEED update stems in part from run of the mill concerns that LEED may disfavor suppliers of certain types of construction materials. In response to concerns among its members on this point, the USGBC announced that it would delay the ballot to approve LEED v4.