Why LEED Is Not Enough

We’ve known for a long time that the LEED rating systems, though they’ve had a tremendous impact on the global building industry, can’t move the needle fast enough to prevent the most catastrophic climate change impacts.

One thing we really need is a framework that focuses on decarbonizing existing buildings at the portfolio scale. Turns out we’re going to get it.

Peter Templeton, who came on as interim president and CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) last year, has removed the “interim” from his job title. And he has big ideas. 

I talked to him about those ideas—including equity, ESG, and a brand new framework in the works for existing building portfolios—last week. 

“Commitments are being made at the organizational level rather than the individual or project level,” Templeton told me in our interview. So, he said, USGBC has been building “stronger partnerships and collaborations across the industry” to make sure “that our team is well equipped and our community is well equipped to work in this new setting.”

He also added that the organizations are “excited that the evolution of the market is helping us put a tighter focus on existing buildings.”

You can read the whole story on our sister site, BuildingGreen.com.