U.S. Green Building Council

LEED stands for green building leadership. LEED is transforming the way we think about how buildings and communities are designed, constructed, maintained and operated across the globe.

LEED certified buildings save money and resources and have a positive impact on the health of occupants, while promoting renewable, clean energy.

LEED, or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, is a green building certification program that recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices. To receive LEED certification, building projects satisfy prerequisites and earn points to achieve different levels of certification. Prerequisites and credits differ for each rating system, and teams choose the best fit for their project.

LEED is flexible enough to apply to all project types.

Each rating system groups requirements that address the unique needs of building and project types on their path towards LEED certification. Once a project team chooses a rating system, they’ll use the appropriate credits to guide design and operational decisions.

There are five rating systems that address multiple project types:

Building Design
and Construction
Interior Design
and Construction
Building Operations
and Maintenance
Neighborhood
Development
Homes

Building Design + Construction:

Interior Design + Construction:

Building Operations + Maintenance:

Neighborhood Development:

Homes:

Certify a project

Each rating system is made up of a combination of credit categories.

Within each of the credit categories, there are specific prerequisites projects must satisfy and a variety of credits projects can pursue to earn points. The number of points the project earns determines its level of LEED certification.

See the credit categories »

Integrative Process

requirements, while not a credit category, promote reaching across disciplines to incorporate diverse team members during the pre-design period.

Location and transportation

credits reward projects within relatively dense areas, near diverse uses, with access to a variety of transportation options, or on sites with development constraints.

Materials and Resources

credits encourage using sustainable building materials and reducing waste. Indoor environmental quality credits promote better indoor air quality and access to daylight and views.

Water efficiency

credits promote smarter use of water, inside and out, to reduce potable water consumption.

Energy and atmosphere

credits promote better building energy performance through innovative strategies.

Sustainable sites

credits encourage strategies that minimize the impact on ecosystems and water resources.

Indoor environmental quality

credits promote better indoor air quality and access to daylight and views.

Innovation

credits address sustainable building expertise as well as design measures not covered under the five LEED credit categories.

Regional priority credits

address regional environmental priorities for buildings in different geographic regions.

LEED for Neighborhood Development additional credit categories

Smart location & linkage

credits promote walkable neighborhoods with efficient transportation options and open space.

Neighborhood pattern & design

credits emphasize compact, walkable, vibrant, mixed-use neighborhoods with good connections to nearby communities.

Green infrastructure & buildings

credits reduce the environmental consequences of the construction and operation of buildings and infrastructure.

Explore The Credit Library

The number of points a project earns determines the level of LEED certification.

There are four levels of certification - the number of points a project earns determines the level of LEED certification that the project will receive. Typical certification thresholds are:

Platinum

80+ Points

Gold

60-79 Points

Silver

50-59 Points

Certified

40-49 Points

Certify a project

LEED can apply to people, too

With new jobs specifying the need for expertise in LEED, you can earn a LEED professional credential to demonstrate your leadership in the field and in-depth knowledge of the LEED rating system and green building strategies.

Learn About Credentials

Why choose LEED?

LEED certification is recognized across the globe as the premier mark of achievement in green building.

Learn more »

Proven performance

If you’re serious about saving money, conserving energy, reducing water consumption, improving indoor air quality, making better building material choices, and driving innovation, then LEED is the best choice. Bar none.

Third-party certification verifies that your project is designed, built and operating the way it was intended. It is also your first step toward managing your building through its entire lifecycle.

Continuous improvement

Behind the LEED program is an immense infrastructure developed to support the leaders in the industry as they innovate and create cutting-edge, high performance buildings. We make significant investments each year to maintain, operate and improve LEED and its delivery. No other rating system has an infrastructure that comes close.

Lifetime of returns

LEED-certified buildings cost less to operate, reducing energy and water bills by as much as 40%. Businesses and organizations across the globe use LEED to increase the efficiency of their buildings, freeing up valuable resources that can be used to create new jobs, attract and retain top talent, expand operations and invest in emerging technologies.

LEED buildings have faster lease-up rates and may qualify for a host of incentives like tax rebates and zoning allowances. Not to mention they retain higher property values.

Each LEED-registered project receives access to:

LEED Online

Clear and convenient tool for documenting the achievement of each LEED credit.
Go to LEED Online

Customer service

Technical customer service is only a phone-call away. Users can interact with their project reviewers, the customer service team, account managers, representatives from the business development team and subject matter experts from USGBC’s LEED department.

Professional Infrastructure

LEED projects are supported by an unrivaled infrastructure of 185,000+ industry professional credential holders.

Incompatible browser

LEED