LEED v5 for architects and developers marks a major shift in how we define high-performance buildings in a carbon-constrained world.
The most recent version of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design® is now open for new project registrations in both Canada and across North America.
In this article, we’ll explore this new version of the rating system for new construction or major renovations, and how this ambitious overhaul will change how you design, build, and benchmark your projects.
We’ll also give you an overview of how it still leaves significant opportunities on the table for reaching high performance levels in energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality, which affects occupant productivity and health, and, of course, with accelerating climate change, climate resilience and carbon impact.
But what if your building is undergoing major renovations and deep retrofits where there are significant upgrades to the building? If the building will not be occupied during the renovation, and a new occupancy permit will be required, then this is the right version of the rating system to use.
The LEED BD+C version of this rating system applies to Multifamily Homes, Data Centres, Commercial Buildings, and Institutional Buildings. If you are developing a building where there will be a major tenant area, look into using the core and shell (LEED CS) version. There are also separate rating systems to address commercial interiors (LEED CI), and existing building operations and maintenance (LEED O+M) so make sure you are using the right version.
LEED is one of the world’s most popular green building rating systems and meeting the requirements will contribute to your organization’s social impact assessment especially for ESG benchmarks like GRESB. LEED is administered by the Canada Green Building Council® (CaGBC) in Canada, and the US Green Building Council® (USGBC) in the United States.
Since launching the first Canadian LEED certification rating system in 2002, there have been over 6,280 LEED-certified projects built in Canada, and we are regularly listed among the top three LEED users in the world.
Version five of LEED (LEED v5) is finally here, and it’s not just a checklist refresh. It’s a recalibration of what high-performance buildings mean in a decarbonizing, climate-impacted, socially-conscious world. If you’re an architect or developer planning your next project—or rethinking how your portfolio performs—you’ll want to understand these changes before design begins. Why LEED v5 matters to Architects and developers now more than ever? Because LEED v5 raises the bar.
Every Prerequisite and Credit are connected to three planetary imperatives: decarbonization; ecological conservation; and quality of life. These are massive changes in the rating system to measure success in a decarbonizing world.
Below, we outline the key shifts and what they mean for your project.
1. Decarbonization Is Now the North Star
New prerequisites and credits emphasize reducing both operational and embodied carbon emissions. In fact, half of credits in this version of LEED are related to decarbonization.
What this means for you:
These aren’t just stretch goals anymore. Decarbonized buildings are now a core expectation. In fact, there is a new prerequisite that everyone has to comply with which is the Operational Carbon Projections; Decarbonization Plan.
New Prerequisite to watch:
- Operational Carbon Projections and Decarbonization Plan
New credits to watch:
- Integrative Process
- Electrification
- Reduce Peak Thermal Loads
Importantly, to earn Platinum in this rating system, buildings must meet minimum energy efficiency thresholds, electrify (with some emergency-use exceptions), use 100% renewables, and cut embodied carbon.
2. Design for Climate and Human Impact Starts on Day One
The new Integrative Process, Planning and Assessments (IP) credit category isn’t just about early energy modeling. (More on that below… )
New Prerequisites to watch:
- IPp Climate Resilience Assessment
- IPp Human Impact Assessment
- IPp Carbon Assessment
- IPp Tenant Design Guidelines (for Core & Shell)
Revised Prerequisite:
- EAp Fundamental Commissioning and Verification (with new commissioning requirements and responsibilities).
Changed Credit Highlights Integrative Design Process:
- EAc Integrative Design Process (formerly Integrative Process) expands requirements to include cross-discipline collaboration through Integrated Team, Design Charette, and LEED Goal setting.
New Credits:
- EAc Electrification
- EAc Reduce Peak Thermal Loads
Enhanced energy efficiency: Stricter energy performance standards require projects to meet more ambitious efficiency targets, especially at the higher levels of certification such as LEED Platinum.
Resilience: Integrates resilience to climate variability requiring projects to conduct climate resilience assessments to identify vulnerabilities and plan for long-term sustainability.
Why this matters:
If your design team isn’t cross-functional by kickoff, or if your scope doesn’t account for long-term occupant well-being and climate risk, your project may miss the mark.
3. LEED for Location Gets Real About Equity and EVs
Forget the old “check-the-box” site metrics. LEED v5’s Location and Transportation (LT) category now emphasizes compact and connected development, with transportation demand management, and electric vehicles (non-negotiable).
New Prerequisites:
- None
New Credits:
- LTc Equitable Development (incorporates High-Priority Site credit requirements with revisions and additions).
- LTc Compact and Connected Development (incorporates Surrounding Density and Diverse Uses, Bicycle Facilities credit requirements with revisions and additions).
That means that bicycle infrastructure can now be met through shared micro mobility and public parking. Parking reductions and EV readiness are essential to the design, not optional anymore.
Key takeaway, if you are choosing a site, then do a LEEDv5 Location and Transportation assessment on each site option first to find out what you can achieve for each of them.
4. Water and Materials Go Circular
LEED v5 frames water and materials within a full-cycle, carbon-aware system addressing water stress and scarcity.
Water Efficiency is More Holistic and Streamlined
You can’t focus on one part of the building, and focus on either the exterior or interior. Now the water use on the site matters.
Revised Prerequisite:
- WEc Minimum Water Efficiency is a minimum efficiency using a whole building approach (incorporating WEc Outdoor Water Use Reduction, WEc Indoor Water Use Reduction prerequisites).
New Credits:
- WEc Enhanced Water Efficiency (whole building approach, including indoor water use, outdoor water use, and process water use under one umbrella incorporating WEc Outdoor Water Use, WEc Indoor Water Use, and WEc Optimize Process Water Use credits).
- WEc Water Metering and Reporting (incorporating WEc Building-Level Water Metering which includes mandatory metering access for each subsystem, and meter each dwelling unit, including real-time data for facility managers and tenants).
Keep your eye on all of these prerequisites and credits at the same time in order to maximize your point earnings in this category.
Materials & Resources Go Deeper:
Focusing on reducing embodied carbon, protecting health and fostering a circular economy, these new evaluation criteria push design teams to do whole building life cycle assessments, EPD analysis, waste management and promote low-emitting and circular materials. Additional waste collection is required for all batteries, mercury-containing lamps, and e-waste.
New Prerequisite:
- MRp Quantify and Assess Embodied Carbon.
Revised Credits Highlight LCA Requirements and Salvaged Materials:
- MRc Building Life-Cycle Impact Reduction (incorporates MRc Materials Reuse and elements of Pilot Credit Procurement of Low Carbon Construction Materials)
- MRc Reduce Embodied Carbon (formerly MRc Building Life-Cycle Impact Reduction). incorporates new LCA requirements and GWP reduction point thresholds, and adds in new options including EPD Analysis, Track Carbon Emissions from Construction Activities).
- MRc Construction and Demolition Waste Diversion (incorporates MRc Construction and MRc Demolition Waste Management) and adds requirements, lists diversion strategies, and revises rules for calculating diversion rates, with minimum amounts for salvaged or source-separated materials, and approved C&D waste management plan in tenant guidelines.
New Credits:
- MRc Building and Materials Reuse (incorporates Building Life-Cycle Impact Reduction credit).
- MRc Reduce Embodied Carbon (>20% for LEED Platinum) (incorporates elements of Building Life-Cycle Impact Reduction credit and elements of Pilot Credit Procurement of Low Carbon Building Materials.
- MRc Building Product Selection and Procurement, which uses a multi-attribute criteria and product scoring system (incorporates elements of MRc Environmental Product Declarations, MRc Sourcing of Raw Materials, and MRc Material Ingredients credit requirements).
Circular economy strategies are embedded into the core of LEED v5.
5. Human Health Moves Beyond Air Quality
Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ) is reimagined to support a broader definition of occupant health and inclusion. This section is still about indoor air quality, but there is more to it than just the air quality. This section has made from big changes, including:
New Prerequisite:
- EQp No Smoking or Vehicle Idling (incorporating Environmental Tobacco Smoke Control)
- EQp Construction Management (incorporating Construction Indoor Air Quality Management Plan, with additional requirements for extreme heat protection, and other strategies).
Revised Prerequisite:
- EQc Fundamental Air Quality (entryway systems and filtration protect air quality to MERV13 levels or higher, or with in-room air cleaning systems). (We are not happy to see engineered natural ventilation strategies removed.)
New Credits:
- EQc Resilient Spaces (operable windows are moved into this credit).
- EQc Accessibility and Inclusion
Performance Strategies Now Roll into Three Powerful Revised Credits:
- EQc Enhanced Air Quality
- EQc Air Quality Testing and Monitoring
- EQc Occupant Experience (incorporating the Thermal Comfort credit, with modified thermal controllability, adjustability to seasons, support for occupants at different activity levels and incorporating EQc Interior Lighting, EQc Daylight, EQc Quality Views, and EQc Acoustic Performance credits, with changes to each credit).
Designing for biophilia, neurodiversity, and adaptable lighting is now officially on the LEED map.
See how our platform makes LEED v5 simpler
Project Administration
LEED Online continues as the primary submission platform, but an update to the Arc platform is coming, expanding functionality beyond operations to support project performance tracking and reporting. Collaborative discussion still has to happen on another platform.
LEED Platinum Requirements (Highlights):
- Electrification (EAc1): five points are required.
- Enhanced Energy Efficiency (EAc3): eight points are required.
- Renewable Energy (EAc4): 100% of site energy from Tier 1–3 renewables.
- Reduced Embodied Carbon (MRc2): achieve 20% reduction over the baseline.
Managing the Integrative Design Process
In LEED v5, the Integrative Process credit has been renamed to Integrative Design Process and expanded to include:
- Integrated Team
- Design Charrette
- LEED Goal Setting
Tip: Bring in an experienced IDP facilitator who can streamline this process using a tech-enabled collaboration system.
The Biggest LEED v5 Blind Spots
Despite its strength, LEED v5 leaves critical opportunities on the table:
- Minimum energy performance still allows inefficiencies.
- Airtightness is usually the biggest leverage point and remains unaddressed.
- Passive survivability is not addressed as a core metric.
- High-performing envelopes remain undervalued.
That’s why we often recommend adding:
- 2030 Challenge targets
- Net Zero design
- Passive survivability for grid failures and extreme weather
- Airtight yet vapour-open envelope design
We can customize your sustainability strategy to reflect your goals.
Final Takeaway
LEED v5 is smarter, tougher and more meaningful.
- For Architects: it’s a chance to embed climate, equity and resilience into the core of the design
- For Developers: it’s a differentiator in a carbon-conscious real estate market.
- For the planet: it’s the step we can’t afford to skip.
Pro tip: If you want to hit Platinum, start early, and bring your MEP, envelope, and commissioning partners into the conversation before schematic design. LEEDv5 demands a truly integrated team.
We’re Here to Help
We’re a tech-enabled consultancy focused on helping teams meet LEED v5 without bottlenecks or overwhelm. Our integrative platform supports seamless collaboration—so you can focus on designing great buildings.