Summary of changes to LEED v5

U.S. Green Building Council

Summary of changes to LEED v5 2

LEED v5 marks a transformative milestone in the built environment’s alignment with a low-carbon future and has been developed around three central areas of
impact: decarbonization, quality of life, and ecological conservation and restoration. Every credit and prerequisite in LEED v5 is connected to the three central
areas of impact. The LEED O+M rating system is for existing buildings focused on operational improvement.

Additional requirements for LEED Platinum certification have been added which include minimum thresholds for energy efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions
reduction performance, and plans for further operational emissions reductions.

INTEGRATIVE PROCESS, PLANNING, AND ASSESSMENTS

The Integrative Process, Planning, and Assessments (IP) credit category is a new category for LEED v5 O+M: Existing Buildings. The IP credit
category focuses on comprehensive, holistic assessments and policies for continuity of sustainable operations. Materials purchasing has been
included in IPp Operations Assessment and Policy to reduce environmental harm from materials by considering the embodied carbon of products
purchased. Climate resilience, human impact, and further promotion of social equity have been added in LEED v5 with a total of six new
prerequisites and credits.

Prerequisite Climate Resilience Assessment • New prerequisite

Prerequisite Human Impact Assessment • New prerequisite
Operations Assessment and • New prerequisite. Incorporates LEED v4 SSc Site Management Policy, MRp Ongoing Purchasing and
Prerequisite
Policy Waste Policy, MRp Facility Maintenance and Renovation Policy, and EQp Green Cleaning Policy
Current Facilities Requirements • Incorporates LEED v4 EAp Energy Efficiency Best Management Practices
Prerequisite
and O+M Plan • The ASHRAE Level 1 audit is no longer required
Operational Planning for
Credit • New credit
Resilience
Credit Worker Safety and Training • New credit

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Summary of changes to LEED v5 3

LOCATION AND TRANSPORTATION

The Location and Transportation (LT) credit category in LEED v5 focuses on promoting sustainable mobility solutions for building occupants, aiming
to reduce carbon emissions and improve quality of life. It introduces measures that anticipate a decarbonized future, including enhanced electric
vehicle (EV) incentives, disincentivizing parking, and supporting low-carbon and micromobility alternatives. The category emphasizes a shift away
from single-occupancy vehicles towards active and shared modes of transportation, which contribute to healthier communities through increased
exercise and improved air quality. By implementing these strategies, projects can reduce urban sprawl, conserve ecosystems, and mitigate habitat
loss. The LT category's holistic approach supports transformative outcomes, helping projects contribute to a resilient and low-carbon built
environment while promoting community-wide sustainability.

• Credit renamed to Sustainable Transportation Performance

• The alternative transportation rate performance metric was replaced by the sustainable
transportation rate. The alternative transportation rate in LEED v4 O+M is based on the percentage
reduction in conventional commuting trips (commute alone in automobile) whereas the
sustainable transportation rate is based on the percentage of occupants who traveled to the
Credit Alternative Transportation
project by active and shared modes of transportation
• Option 3, Comprehensive Alternative Transportation Program, has been removed and
incorporated and expanded upon in the Transportation Demand Management credit with new
options for unbundled parking and shared mobility
• Added the project’s Walk Score as an option
Sustainable Transportation
Credit • New credit. Incorporates LEED v4 credit Alternative Transportation
Performance
Transportation Demand
Credit • New credit. Incorporates LEED v4 credit Alternative Transportation, Option 3
Management
Credit Electric Vehicles • New credit

U.S. Green Building Council

Summary of changes to LEED v5 4

SUSTAINABLE SITES
The Sustainable Sites (SS) category in LEED v5 focuses on promoting sustainable relationships between buildings and their surrounding
environments. It addresses critical environmental concerns such as mitigating rising temperatures, reducing development impacts on wildlife and
people, and improving resilience and biodiversity. Key strategies include heat island reduction through shading, increased tree canopy cover,
vegetation, and reflective or green roofs, which can significantly reduce building energy consumption and urban heat. The category also
emphasizes light pollution reduction and bird collision abatement, with measures that can reduce bird fatalities. By implementing these strategies,
projects can contribute to ecosystem restoration, improve human well-being, and align with global commitments to conserve and restore the
world's land and seas. The SS category ultimately aims to optimize existing buildings' connections to their surroundings, preserving healthy
ecosystems and enhancing both ecological balance and human quality of life.

• Removed prerequisite from the SS category, incorporated into IP prerequisite Operations

Prerequisite Site Management Policy Assessment and Policy
• Added monitoring and mitigation of bird-window collisions
Site Development—Protect or
Prerequisite • Credit removed
Restore Habitat
Credit Rainwater Management • Credit removed
• Removed Options 1 and 2 with nonroof and roof measures are combined into one calculation
Credit Heat Island Reduction • All site paving and roofs must be included in the calculation
• Removed Option 4 - Parking Under Cover
• Credit renamed to Light Pollution Bird Collision Reduction
• Removed option to comply with perimeter measurements
Credit Light Pollution Reduction • Full cutoff regulations now apply to exterior fixtures with light output greater than 1,000 lumens
• Added requirements for both interior and exterior lighting programming
• Added Option 2: Bird Collision Reduction
Credit Site Management • Credit removed
Credit Site Improvement Plan • Credit removed

U.S. Green Building Council

Summary of changes to LEED v5 5

WATER EFFICIENCY
The Water Efficiency (WE) category in LEED v5 emphasizes water as a valuable and limited resource, focusing on water efficiency performance. It
encourages projects to conserve potable water, reduce energy use, and enhance resilience both on-site and in the community. The category
promotes an efficiency-first strategy of identifying, measuring, and reducing water use. This process begins with metering and submetering to
understand current water performance, followed by measuring water use intensity and rewarding projects that reduce potable water use. The WE
category contributes to decarbonization by reducing emissions associated with water-related energy use and supports ecological conservation by
lessening strain on ecosystems. By implementing these strategies, projects protect essential resources and contribute to a more resilient,
sustainable, and equitable future.

Prerequisite Indoor Water Use Reduction • Incorporated into new prerequisite: Minimum Water Efficiency
• Prerequisite renamed to Water Metering and Reporting
• Added requirement to meter alternative water sources
Prerequisite Building-Level Water Metering • Updated to specify that alternative water sources must be metered separately from municipally
supplied potable water, entirety of reporting period must be measured and reported, and the data
sharing commitment to USGBC is required for the following certification
• Incorporated into new credit: Water Efficiency Performance
Credit Outdoor Water Use Reduction • Inclusive of whole building water use
• Metric changed to water use intensity (WUI) thresholds by space type
• Incorporated into new credit: Water Efficiency Performance
Credit Indoor Water Use Reduction • Inclusive of whole building water use
• Metric changed to water use intensity (WUI) thresholds by space type
Credit Cooling Tower Water Use • Removed credit
• Credit renamed to Advanced Water Metering
Credit Water Metering
• Requires meter recording to be used in a regular analysis of time trends
• New credit. Incorporates LEED v4 credits WEc Outdoor Water Use Reduction and WEc Indoor
Credit Water Efficiency Performance
Water Use Reduction

U.S. Green Building Council

Summary of changes to LEED v5 6

ENERGY AND ATMOSPHERE

The Energy and Atmosphere (EA) credit category in LEED v5 aims to facilitate a net-zero carbon building operation, and it focuses on reducing
energy consumption and emissions through energy efficiency, renewable energy, and refrigerant management. The category introduces new
credits for carbon projection, energy monitoring and reporting, and greenhouse gas emissions reduction performance while maintaining a strong
emphasis on energy efficiency. Additional strategies include commissioning, grid harmonization, and refrigerant management. These approaches
can lead to reduced operational costs, improved resilience, and enhanced value for building owners, occupants, and communities.

LEED v5 Platinum-certified projects are expected to achieve industry best practices in energy efficiency, eliminate on-site combustion (except for
emergencies), use 100% renewable energy, and reduce embodied carbon.

Energy Efficiency Best • Prerequisite removed. Incorporated into LEED v5 IPp Current Facilities Requirements and O+M
Prerequisite
Management Practices Plan.
• Includes new options in addition to ENERGY STAR rating (Option 1) for buildings ineligible to
receive an ENERGY STAR score in the U.S. or Canada
Prerequisite Minimum Energy Performance
• Adds Option 2 for meeting Site or Source Energy Use Intensity targets and Option 3 for
performance relative to historical baseline
• Prerequisite renamed to Energy Monitoring and Reporting
• Requires calibration of meters if the project owner or management organization has oversight over
the meter
Prerequisite Building-Level Energy Metering
• Includes ability to exclude tenant meters for up to 10% of the gross building area, provided the
associated area is also excluded for the determination of energy use intensity or GHG emissions
intensity
• Shifts focus from CFC phase-out to comprehensive refrigerant management
• Adds a requirement to provide a refrigerant policy
• Adds requirements for inventory, inspection, tracking, and reporting of all refrigerants
Fundamental Refrigerant
Prerequisite • Introduces GWP tracking of leaked refrigerants
Management
• Removes economic feasibility exception for CFC phase-out
• Removes specific leakage rate targets
• Applies to all refrigerants, not just CFCs
Carbon Projection from Energy
Prerequisite • New prerequisite
Use

U.S. Green Building Council

Summary of changes to LEED v5 7

• Credit removed. Incorporated into LEED v5 EAc Commissioning

• Option 1 for developing an existing building commissioning plan has been incorporated into and
Existing Building Commissioning- expanded upon in the Engagement, Planning, and Assessment phases of the retro-commissioning
Credit
Analysis (RCx) process
• Option 2 for developing an energy audit plan has been removed
• New option for Monitoring-Based Commissioning
• Credit removed. Incorporated into LEED v5 EAc Commissioning
Existing Building Commissioning-
Credit • Requirements incorporated into the Implementation, Verification, and Handoff phases of retro-
Implementation
commissioning measures (RCMs)
• Credit removed. Incorporated into LEED v5 EAc Commissioning
Credit Ongoing Commissioning • Incorporates ongoing commissioning plan and quarterly reports and expands upon requirements
within Option 2, Monitoring-Based Commissioning
• Credit renamed to Optimized Energy Performance
• Includes new options in addition to ENERGY STAR rating (Option 1) for buildings ineligible to
receive an ENERGY STAR score in the U.S. or Canada
• Adds Option 2 for meeting Site or Source Energy Use Intensity targets and Option 3 for
Credit Optimize Energy Performance
performance relative to historical baseline
• Point thresholds may be aligned either with ENERGY STAR score or percent improvement over
historic baseline performance
• Includes guidance for high-process-load buildings
Credit Advanced Energy Metering • Credit removed
• Credit incorporated into LEED v5 EAc Peak Load Reduction Performance and LEED v5 EAc6 Peak
Load Management
• LEED v5 EAc Peak Load Management focuses on demonstrating actual reductions in peak demand
via participation in utility demand response program, implementing demand side management,
Credit Demand Response and/or envelope air barrier testing
• Added options in LEED v5 EAc Peak Load Reduction Performance for electric and thermal demand
reduction
• Option 1: Electric Demand Reduction
• Option 2: Thermal Demand Reduction
Renewable Energy and Carbon • Credit incorporated into LEED v5 EAc Greenhouse Gas Reduction Performance, Option 2, with new
Credit
Offsets thresholds for Tier I, II, and III renewable energy supply or procurement
Enhanced Refrigerant • Credit renamed to Enhanced Refrigerant Management Performance
Credit
Management • Points are earned for Refrigerant Leakage Emissions Ratio over a 12-month performance period

U.S. Green Building Council

Summary of changes to LEED v5 8

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Credit • New credit. Incorporates LEED v4 credit Renewable Energy
Reduction Performance
Peak Load Reduction
Credit • New credit. Incorporates portions of LEED v4 credit Demand Response
Performance
Decarbonization and Efficiency
Credit • New credit
Plans
Credit Peak Load Management • New credit. Incorporates portions of LEED v4 credit Demand Response
• New credit. Incorporates LEED v4 credits Existing Building Commissioning - Analysis, Existing
Credit Commissioning
Building Commissioning - Implementation, and Ongoing Commissioning

U.S. Green Building Council

Summary of changes to LEED v5 9

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

The Materials and Resources (MR) category in LEED v5 focuses on preventing waste and promoting a circular economy. It encourages projects to
track and report waste streams consistently, aiming to reduce landfill and incineration waste while preserving valuable resources. The category
emphasizes strategies such as composting, upstream waste prevention, reuse, recycling, training and conducting a zero waste audit. The MR
category encourages project teams to rethink material use and procurement, reduce waste generation, and protect ecosystems, advancing
sustainability goals and contributing to a healthier, more resilient built environment.

• Prerequisite removed from the MR category and some elements now included under LEED v5 IPp
Ongoing Purchasing and Waste
Prerequisite Operations Assessment and Policy
Policy
• Shift of focus to zero waste and embodied carbon
Facility Maintenance and • Prerequisite removed from the MR category and some elements now included under LEED v5 IPp
Prerequisite
Renovation Policy Operations Assessment and Policy
Credit Purchasing—Ongoing • Credit removed
Credit Purchasing—Lamps • Credit removed
Purchasing—Facility
Credit • Credit removed
Maintenance and Renovation
• Credit incorporated into LEED v5 MRc1 Waste Reduction Performance
Solid Waste Management— • More points are available for diversion. Thresholds for diversion range from 6% to 80%
Credit
Ongoing • Requires monthly tracking of all non-hazardous waste materials
• Includes variations such as seasonal collection or intermittent waste streams
Solid Waste Management—
Credit Facility Maintenance and • Credit removed
Renovation
• New credit. Incorporates elements of LEED v4 credit Solid Waste Management – Ongoing. Now
Credit Waste Reduction Performance allows waste prevention as an additional means of diversion. Aligns some diversion requirements
with the TRUE rating system.
Credit Waste Reduction Strategies • New credit. Aligned with core aspects of the TRUE rating system.

U.S. Green Building Council

Summary of changes to LEED v5 10

INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

The Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ) credit category in LEED v5 focuses on improving human health and well-being. The category emphasizes
strategies such as air quality improvement, occupant experience enhancement, facility stewardship, green cleaning, pest management, and
incorporating feedback processes to continually enhance occupant experience. By implementing these strategies, projects can create healthier,
more adaptable spaces that prioritize occupant comfort and safety while minimizing environmental impact through reduced pollutants and
pesticides. This category now includes requirements for filtration efficiency and adds management of episodic outdoor ambient conditions and
infection risk management mode for improved resilience and adaptation to changing climate conditions.

• Prerequisite renamed to Verification of Ventilation and Filtration

• Updated referenced standard from 62.1-2010 to 62.1-2022
• Revised outdoor air requirements for mechanically ventilated spaces, including removal of Case 2
• New requirement for observational survey of the building site and immediate surroundings to
identify local contaminants
• Expands on requirement for HVAC system maintenance program
Minimum Indoor Air Quality
Prerequisite • New requirement for identification of filtration level, and if below MERV 13 (or equivalent
Performance
filtration media class of ePM1 50%), include evaluation of options for improving filter efficiency
and documentation of the circumstances and potential corrective actions
• Clarifies requirements for projects with outdoor air economizers and naturally ventilated spaces
• Clarifies credit requirements for residential units
• Compliance with minimum outdoor rates is highly encouraged but not required to meet the
prerequisite
• Prerequisite renamed to No Smoking
• The requirement for exterior signage has been removed with the exception of School projects
Environmental Tobacco Smoke where signage must be posted at the property line indicating the no-smoking policy
Prerequisite
Control • For residential units, if smoking is not prohibited in the dwelling units and on private balconies, the
option for establishing a baseline for maximum leakage requirement has been revised to
demonstrating a 30% improvement in each unit
• Prerequisite removed from the EQ category and included under IPp Operations Assessment and
Policy
Prerequisite Green Cleaning Policy
• The LEED v4 EQp Green Cleaning Policy Option 2. Certified Cleaning Service is incorporated into
LEED v5 EQc Green Cleaning Option 1. Certified Cleaning Service
Indoor Air Quality Management • Credit renamed to Indoor Air Quality Performance
Credit
Program • Requirements added for continuous air monitoring and targeted air testing
Enhanced Indoor Air Quality
Credit • Credit removed
Strategies

U.S. Green Building Council

Summary of changes to LEED v5 11

Credit Thermal Comfort • Credit removed

Credit Interior Lighting • Credit removed
Credit Daylight and Quality Views • Credit removed
Green Cleaning – Custodial • Credit removed. Incorporated into LEED v5 EQc Facilities Stewardship Performance under Option
Credit
Effectiveness Assessment 2. Measure Cleaning Performance, Path 1. Cleaning Appearance Audit
Green Cleaning – Products and • Incorporated into new credit: Green Cleaning
Credit
Materials • Adds option for Certified Cleaning Service
Credit Green Cleaning - Equipment • Credit removed
Credit Integrated Pest Management • Adds options for Certified Integrated Pest Management Service
• Credit renamed to Occupant Experience Performance
• Survey has been simplified
Credit Occupant Comfort Survey
• Credit points are awarded based on percentage of occupant satisfaction (>60 - >90%)
• Removed requirement to develop and implement a corrective action plan
Credit Ventilation Performance • New credit
Facility Stewardship
Credit • New credit
Performance
Credit Air Filtration • New credit. Incorporates LEED v4 credit Enhanced IAQ Strategies, Option 2
Credit Resilient Spaces • New credit
Credit Green Cleaning • New credit. Incorporates LEED v4 Green Cleaning – Products and Materials

U.S. Green Building Council

Summary of changes to LEED v5 12

PROJECT PRIORITIES AND INNOVATION

The Project Priorities and Innovation (PR) credit category focuses on geographically sensitive or adaptation-specific environmental, social equity,
and public health priorities and encourages projects to think creatively to test and accelerate new sustainable building practices and strategies.

The LEED v4 Innovation credit has been renamed to “Project Priorities” and now includes Regional Priority points.

• Combined with Regional Priority and incorporated into new credit: Project Priorities
Credit Innovation • Updated point thresholds
• Includes Project-Type Priorities
• Incorporated into new credit: Project Priorities
Credit LEED Accredited Professional
• Requires at least one on-site principal participant of the property team to be a LEED AP O+M
• New credit. Incorporates LEED v4 INc Innovation, LEED Accredited Professional, and Regional
Credit Project Priorities
Priority credits

U.S. Green Building Council