Note: This pilot credit was closed for new registrations as of March 1, 2012.

This credit is meant to apply the same level of consideration and evaluation of third-party certifications and labels available in the Green Building Sector to all products and materials. The purpose is to communicate the difference between their levels of sophistication in regard to more comprehensive perspectives of sustainability. We want LEED buildings to have more products that we know more about, and fewer products that we don’t know very much about. The credit rewards greater transparency and knowledge about product life-cycles.

The Certified Products Pilot Credit is a comprehensive approach to valuing certifications according to depth, transparency, and rigor. The credit serves to communicate the present and future certifications that will be recognized in LEED.

Credit Submittals

General

1. Register for Pilot Credit(s) here. 
2. Register a username at LEEDuser.com, and participate in online forum
3. Submit the feedback survey using the link on the USGBC.org credit page; supply PDF of your survey/confirmation of completion with credit documentation

Credit Specific

Provide a list of products purchased contributing toward credit and indicate the applicable label/certification. List the cost and number of items purchased per product and calculate the weighted value according to the table above.

Additional Questions

• As a LEED project team, how difficult was it to locate the applicable pathway level of certifications/labels receiving credit?
• How were you able to obtain certification information for products? How difficult was it?
• What were the major barriers to achieving credit performance? Do you think the threshold is reasonable?
• How was the total materials cost for non-structural products found? Is it a calculation that is tracked as part of regular construction process or was the number calculated only for the purposes of LEED?
• What certifications/labels would you like USGBC to consider for inclusion in this pilot credit?  

Pre-Approved Certifications and Labels

The LEED Standard for Standards document is planned to be a tool for decision-making in evaluation of certifications, labels, and standards included in LEED. While the minimum criteria are being developed a list of pre-approved certifications is provided in the Appendix. If a certification does not appear on this list but should be considered for the Certified Products Pilot Credit please e-mail the suggestion to pilot@usgbc.org.

Glossary

• Environmental Label: environmental declaration claim which indicates the environmental aspects of a product or service (ISO 14020:2000)
• Environmental Claim statement, symbol or graphic that indicates an environmental aspect of a product, a component or packaging (ISO 14021:1999)
• Type I Environmental Label Program voluntary, multi-criteria based third party program that awards a license which authorizes the use of environmental labels on products indicating overall environmental preferability of a product within a particular product category based on life cycle considerations. (ISO 14024:1999)
• Type II – voluntary, self declared environmental claim that is made without independent third-party certification, by manufacturers, importers, distributors, retailers and anybody else likely to benefit from such a claim (ISO 14021:2001)
• Type III Environmental Declaration environmental declaration providing quantified environmental data using predetermined parameters and, where relevant, additional environmental information (ISO 14025:2006) Type III declarations are voluntary, third party reviewed EPD based on a PCR document and program operator and are  LCA based