A sustainable building rating system promoted by state and federal regulators is for the first time moving to require that developers consider how their projects could be impacted by rising sea levels, extreme weather events and other effects of climate change.
It was one of several significant changes included in the newest version of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, certification system released Monday by the nonprofit U.S. Green Building Council. It will be phased in over the coming years.
Other updates would require each new LEED-certified project to conduct a 25-year forecast of the carbon emissions associated with construction and operation of the building and produce a plan to zero them out. All platinum projects — the highest of LEED’s four certification levels — would need to operate entirely off of renewable energy except in cases of emergency.
The updated system “emphasizes climate resilience, recognizing the need to adapt our built environment to a changing climate,” said Grace Kwok, chief sustainability strategist at AEC Capital. The environmental consulting firm helped advise on the construction of the International Commerce Center in Hong Kong, the first building in Asia to be certified under the new standard, known as LEED v5.
