Photo courtesy USGBC
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has released a new strategy, Healthy People in Healthy Places Equals a Healthy Economy, intended to leverage the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program and the community implementing the rating system to support the built environment and its occupants in a post-pandemic world.
The strategy is guided by the idea that prioritizing the health of people, communities, and the planet is the fastest way to rebuild a healthier, more sustainable economy. A series of actions are underway, including launching emergency guidance and upgrades to the LEED green building program to ensure it reflects the realities that buildings, and the people inside them, will face in the near future.
Under the new strategy, USGBC will update current LEED strategies in LEED v4.1 that support indoor environmental quality, cleaning, occupant comfort, operations, better materials, and risk management, while finding opportunities to introduce new approaches given the current public health crisis.
“While COVID-19 has changed the landscape forever, a strong global foundation for sustainability will help businesses and governments prepare to recalibrate and recover from this vulnerable moment,” USGBC said in a press release.
