Fewer Green Builders Following LEED

Interest in LEED certification, an attractive accolade for builders invested in sustainable techniques, has fallen among green builders, according to a new survey.
Pictured: Vancouver Convention Centre, certified LEED Platinum in 2010

A recent survey of ''green'' practices in the building industry found that while builders are more focused than ever on sustainability in design and construction, a common road to get there – the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED certification – is getting less traffic.

Turner Construction Company's Market Barometer survey, which examines environmentally sustainable building practices, found that even though many companies remain committed to green building, the percentage of executives who thought it was extremely or very likely that their company would seek LEED certification if they constructed a green building was only 48 percent.

This marks the third consecutive decline among survey respondents, down from 53 percent in 2010 and 61 percent in the 2008 survey.

Among executives who said their companies were not likely to seek LEED certification, the most important reasons cited were the cost of the certification process, the time and effort required and a perception of difficulty in earning certification.

''We've seen from our own work and the continuing growth of the green building market that in spite of this reduction in enthusiasm for LEED certification, respondents are still building green,'' said Michael Deane, Turner Construction's Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer.

''While some respondents are relying on their own standards or are considering another rating system, LEED certification remains the most widely used third party verification of achievement that is recognized by consumers and that can be used to market and promote a property,'' Deane said.

Recent snags in the latest revisions to LEED may have builders hedging their bets as well. ''LEED v4,'' originally slated for release earlier this year, was rescheduled for a 2013 debut after the USGBC added an unprecedented fifth public comment period. A series of USA Today articles questioning the business interests involved in choosing which green building materials and sustainable techniques qualify for credits, as well as other new revisions to the code, also shined an uncomfortable spotlight on LEED's inner workings.

The USGBC's updates to LEED v4 attempt to alleviate industry concerns with additional tools and simpler reporting processes to reduce inefficiencies and remove red tape in the system. The latest draft also increases performance requirements in the areas of energy efficiency, indoor air quality, water use and the performance of green-building materials.

According to the survey, the industry trend isn't away from LEED, but beyond it. Ninety percent of survey respondents said their companies were committed or extremely committed to sustainable practices, both for the reasons listed above and the health and well being of their workforce.