LEED^® v4: The Future of Green Building is Here

Technical Updates and New Market Sectors

LEED v4 includes a comprehensive technical update to the rating system requirements.

While some aspects remain familiar, others incorporate important, fundamental revisions:

• Materials, for example, are evaluated more holistically using multiple attributes through approaches such as Life Cycle Assessment and Environmental Product Declarations.
• There is a greater emphasis on performance, as reflected in water and energy metering requirements.
• Integrative design, envelope commissioning, and acoustics are also some of the new additions to LEED v4.

Projects are now able to use the LEED rating system for more project types than ever before. LEED v4 provides 21 different market sector adaptations, including: new and existing data centers, new and existing warehouse and distribution centers, hospitality, existing schools, existing retail, and multifamily midrise. To view the rating systems and details, visit our LEED v4 Resources page.

Better User Experience

LEED v4 will provide the best of both worlds: a global and continuously evolving platform of tools and materials, with local Canadian delivery.

The LEED Online platform will greatly simplify project management and accelerate certification review. The online reference guide provides multimedia tips and guidance, as well as the opportunity to participate in user forums with peers. You can also continue to reach out to CaGBC Customer Service for support, and certification reviews will be performed by Canadian staff with an understanding of the local market, codes and regulations. You can also reach out to LEED Coach Canada, a Canadian team of LEED experts with diverse building science backgrounds, for all your Canadian project questions.

The simplified project management is made possible as a result of the global framework for LEED, developed over the last several years with input from members of the LEED International Roundtable and other Green Building Councils from around the world. The framework provides the flexibility required to ensure LEED can be used effectively in different regions, while ensuring the consistency required for one project to be benchmarked against another – from any of 160+ countries where LEED is used.

The CaGBC has also developed Alternative Compliance Paths, or ACPs, to provide project teams the option to apply Canadian standards where possible. Regional Priority Credits, or RPCs, put added emphasis on the most pressing environmental concerns in different parts of the country. These documents are available on the LEED v4 Resources page.