June 30, 2006—The US Green Building Council (USGBC) announced in May that it is proposing two changes to its LEED rating system’s wood and bio-based materials credits. The proposal will follow USGBC’s normal consensus process, including being posted for public comment and balloted by USGBC’s full membership prior to implementation.
USGBC says it took action in response to the escalating debate over wood and wood certification as related to USGBC’s LEED Green Building Rating System.
While wood and wood-related issues are just one small aspect of LEED’s integrated approach to green building practice—an approach which comprehensively addresses energy and water usage, indoor environmental quality, site selection, and innovation as well as materials and resources—they had grown to dominate the green building agenda in some state and local forums, and were becoming a distraction from the broader goals of the movement, according to USGBC.
Entitled “Dealing with Wood and Bio-Based Materials in the LEED Rating System” the white paper that formed the basis for the USGBC Board’s action was researched and prepared by Alex Wilson of BuildingGreen, and includes an LCA analysis completed by Greg Norris, PhD, of Sylvatica. (Both the full white paper and a summary of the proposed changes are available for download.)
