The US Green Building Council says it will now recognize energy and water requirements from the Living Building Challenge green building system within the LEED green building program.
This means that projects achieving the energy and water requirements in Living Building Challenge will be considered as technically equivalent to LEED.
Scot Horst, USGBC chief product officer, says while there’s a sense of competition between green rating systems, the two organizations want to “create harmonization” between their systems.
Over the last several years, USGBC says it has made concerted efforts to streamline LEED requirements and better complement existing rating systems around the world.
In 2012, USGBC announced that it would recognize energy credits from BREEAM, the UK’s green-building rating program, in applications for LEED certification.
And earlier this year, LEED and other organizations aligned with the International Green Construction Code to create new guidelines that the groups say will make it easier for owners, designers, builders and code officials to build sustainable, high-performing buildings.