LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
Definition
LEED is a globally recognised green building certification system developed by the US Green Building Council. It provides a framework for healthy, efficient, and cost-saving buildings across several categories including new construction, interiors, and operations. Projects earn points across categories such as energy, water, materials, and indoor environmental quality to achieve certification levels from Certified to Platinum.
Why It Matters
LEED certification is the most widely used green building rating system globally, with over 100,000 certified projects. It serves as a key indicator for real estate investors and tenants evaluating the sustainability performance of buildings.
Related Terms
Green Building
Green building refers to the practice of designing, constructing, and operating buildings in a way that reduces their environmental impact and enhances occupant health. This includes energy efficiency, water conservation, sustainable materials, and indoor air quality. Green building certifications like LEED and BREEAM provide standardised benchmarks.
BREEAM
BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) is the world's first and one of the most widely used sustainability assessment methods for buildings and infrastructure projects. Developed in the UK, it evaluates performance across categories including energy, health, materials, waste, ecology, and management. BREEAM ratings range from Pass to Outstanding.
Renewable Energy
Renewable energy is energy derived from natural sources that are replenished at a rate faster than they are consumed, such as solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, and biomass. Unlike fossil fuels, renewable sources produce little to no direct greenhouse gas emissions during operation. The transition to renewables is central to global decarbonisation efforts.