LEED v5: What Architects and Developers Need to Know Now

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 the rating system typology that applies to new Building Design and Construction (LEED BD+C) and LEED for Core and Shell Development (LEED CS) 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. This post breaks down LEED v5 for architects and developers working on new builds or deep retrofits.

LEED BD+C 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 LEED CS version. There are also separate rating systems to address commercial interiors (LEED CI), and existing building operations and maintenance (LEED O+M).

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.

Let’s break it down by what matters most to Architects and Developers. The newest version of LEED is an attempt to connect every prerequisite and credit to three planetary imperatives: decarbonization; ecological conservation; and quality of life.

There are massive changes in the rating system to measure success around decarbonization, climate resilience, equity, and transportation services 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 credits to watch:

- Electrification

- Reduced 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. Climate Resilience and Equity Now Start on Day One

The new Integrative Process category isn’t just about early energy modeling. This version of the LEED rating system (LEED v5) makes four assessments mandatory up front:

- Climate Resilience Assessment

- Human Impact Assessment

- Carbon Assessment

- Tenant Design Guidelines (for Core & Shell)

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 & Connected Development

- Transportation Demand Management (TDM)

- Electric Vehicles (EV infrastructure is non-negotiable)

- Equitable Development (yes, that’s a new credit)

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.

4. Water and Materials Go Circular

LEED v5 frames water and materials within a full-cycle, carbon-aware system.

Water Efficiency shifts include:

- A new whole-project approach

- Mandatory real-time metering access for facility teams and tenants

- Streamlined prerequisites for minimum efficiency and reporting

- Process and indoor/outdoor use under one umbrella: Enhanced Water Efficiency

Materials & Resources Go Deeper:

- Embodied carbon assessment is now a prerequisite

- A new credit for Building Product Selection and Procurement uses a multi-attribute scoring system

- C&D waste must be source-separated or salvaged to count

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: No Smoking or Vehicle Idling

- New credit: Resilient Spaces

- New credit: Accessibility and Inclusion

Performance strategies now roll into three powerful credits:

- Enhanced Air Quality

- Air Quality Testing and Monitoring

- Occupant Experience (bundling daylight, thermal comfort, acoustics, and more)

Designing for biophilia, neurodiversity, and adaptable lighting is now officially on the LEED map.

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 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 inefficiences

- 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. Bring your MEP, envelope, and commissioning partners into the conversation before schematic design. LEEDv5 demands a truly integrated team.