LEED green building requirements set to change in June 2014
by Cleantech Canada staff
The next-generation LEED v4 rating will be tailored to the Canadian market
OTTAWA—The next generation of the LEED green-building rating system, LEED v4, is now available in Canada.
The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC)—which in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) delivers and administer LEED in Canada—is actively participating in the LEED International Roundtable and leading development of Alternative Compliance Paths (ACPs).
The ACPs streamline Canadian projects that demonstrate compliance with credit requirements. This approach to tailoring LEED to the Canadian market speeds delivery of the new system and makes all LEED rating systems available in Canada, including those designed for schools, healthcare facilities, data centres and hotels.
“We are pleased that LEED will continue to be adapted to Canadian standards and Canadian projects will be certified in Canada,” says Thomas Mueller, President and CEO of the CaGBC. “LEED v4 presents the next generation of building rating systems with increased emphasis on energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions, building performance and material lifecycle assessment. Introducing Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) is an important first step toward reducing environmental impacts from materials and enhancing public health.”
Canadian projects will still register under the current LEED Canada 2009 rating system until June 1, 2015.
“Canada’s commercial real estate sector has embraced LEED as the best standard to meet tenant demand for green office space and increase the environmental performance of buildings,” says Andrew McAllan, SVP and Managing Director for Real Estate Management at Oxford Properties Group, and Chair of the CaGBC Board. “At Oxford, we look forward to LEED v4 driving the market forward not only in terms of higher requirements for building performance, but also setting higher standards in materials and design that will impact and improve tenant health and employee productivity.”
LEED v4 and the Canadian ACPs will be officially launched in Canada at the Building Lasting Change 2014 event, the CaGBC’s annual national conference in Toronto from June 2-4.
The CaGBC is a national industry organization advancing green building and sustainable community development practices.
