Newsletter Stories


Friday, 12 July 2013
USGBC Members Approve LEED v4

 (© John Stamets for Bullitt Center)© John Stamets for Bullitt Center

July 12, 2013


After three years, six comment periods and plenty of robust debate, the members of the US Green Building Council approved LEED v4, with 86 percent voting in support of the new standard. The Forest Stewardship Council congratulates the members, board and staff of USGBC for their hard work, perseverance and leadership.

For the FSC community, the key credit in LEED v4 is known as “Building product disclosure and optimization – sourcing of raw materials” (MRc3). This credit contains two options, with the second focused on “leadership extraction practices.”

To receive the credit, a project must use “at least 25%, by cost, of the total value of permanently installed building products.” For wood products, the credit requires products “certified by the Forest Stewardship Council or USGBC-approved equivalent.” Reused or recycled materials are the other primary means for achievement of this credit. Products sourced within 100 miles are valued at 200% of their cost.

During the LEED v4 comment periods, there was intense debate about how high to set the bar for materials and resources. As a leadership standard, FSC argued for maintaining a high bar, using the credit to require key environmental protections and recognize the top performers in any given sector. Employing an oft-stated rule of thumb, if more than 25% of the market achieves a leadership standard, it’s time to raise the bar.

We are heartened to see that USGBC members recognize the importance of high standards to create incentives for leadership practices.

With the debate over LEED v4 standards now settled, we expect companies in the FSC marketplace – from San Francisco to Minneapolis to Boston – to benefit from a new level of certainty and demand in the green building sector.

We also know there are businesses, including forest landowners, mills and lumberyards, that have been waiting on the sidelines to see how the debate would resolve before committing to FSC certification. FSC US staff are ready to help if you choose to participate in this growing marketplace.

In close, we want to offer our sincere thanks to the many FSC-certified companies, members and sustainable design leaders who submitted comments to USGBC in support of high standards in LEED v4. Your voices were heard, and the results might have been very different without your tireless efforts. Thank you.

For more information about LEED v4, visit LEED User.