The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has added two new
credits to its coveted LEED accreditation.
The Pandemic Planning credit will be awarded to cities or
communities that develop a template for responding to a new health crisis.
And the Social Equity in Pandemic Planning will be awarded
for a plan that treats everyone the same.
“The key to a better future lies in our ability to create places that support human and environmental health,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO of USGBC.
“LEED-certified cities and communities are already moving in
that direction and they understand that effective planning is critical to
tracking performance and making improvements. The current pandemic is revealing
new lessons every day and LEED’s Safety First pilot credits provide a roadmap
for taking action and bringing a more integrated and inclusive approach to
rebuilding a healthier economy.”
LEED – which stands for Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design- is a green
building certification program used worldwide. It has helped transform millions
of square feet of building space into greener, more energy efficient spaces
while giving qualifying owners and buildings access to a host of financial
incentives and tax credits for their efforts.
The new credits are part of the USGBC’s Safety First economic
recovery strategy introduced in May that centers around a reimagined vision
that healthy people in healthy places equals a healthy economy.
The new LEED credits are available to LEED for Cities and
Communities projects.
In the U.S., the coronavirus is expected to reduce GDP by
nearly $8 trillion through 2030 putting tremendous strain on local economies,
businesses and people.
The losses will be even more acute when coupled with
mounting costs associated with climate events. Last year, just 14 weather and
climate disasters cost the U.S. more than $45 billion.
LEED has long supported resilience planning and the new
Safety First pilot credits expand those efforts to ensure local governments and
development authorities are also planning for and considering public health
threats and social equity challenges.
As projects pursue
the new credits, USGBC will collect feedback and refine the guidance. These and
other new LEED credits will be discussed during USGBC’s Healthy Economy Forum
August 4-5.
