BETHESDA, Md. (June 27, 2012)—The Adhesive and Sealant Council is taking issue with the “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design” rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council.
It's just not a consensus-based program, and the federal government shouldn't use it as a green certification standard, the ASC said.
“While USGBC might argue it follows the federal government's requirements for a consensus-based organization, it is clear by its random approach to making revisions to the recent LEED 2012 proposal that it lacks commitment to openness and due process,” said Mark Collatz, ASC director of government relations.
Collatz made his remarks at a “listening session” on green certification standards at U.S. General Services Administration headquarters June 26.
As part of the Energy Independence and Security Act, the GSA is required to evaluate green building certification systems every five years to identify the system most likely to encourage an environmentally sound approach to green building certification. The listening session was part of the year-long process for the GSA to obtain input on the process from industry stakeholders and the public.
The USGBC developed the first LEED rating system in 2000, and is working on LEED 2012, the updated system it will release this year. Collatz, however, said approval of LEED within the green building industry was by no means unanimous.
“The danger in endorsing LEED as the single acceptable green building rating system for the federal government is it can lead to the USGBC's further monopolization in these types of programs,” Collatz said. The agency must also consider other ratings systems, such as the Green Building Initiative's Green Globes program, he said.