The U.S. Green Building Council has formally approved LEED Version 5 (LEED v5), launching a major evolution in the most widely used green building rating system in the world. LEED v5 is not just a routine update. It reflects a growing recognition that sustainability must go beyond efficiency and resource conservation. It must directly address carbon emissions, resilience to climate change, and the health and equity of the communities we serve.
At Engenium Group, we believe this is a vital and timely shift. Buildings account for nearly 40% of global carbon emissions. As MEP engineers, we are uniquely positioned to influence how those emissions are reduced, both in the design phase and throughout a building’s operational life. LEED v5 aligns more closely with science, prioritizing real performance over intent, and encouraging design teams to think holistically about outcomes. This positions forward-thinking owners and architects to lead the way on climate and community responsibility
What’s New in LEED v5?
Carbon Reduction Takes Center Stage
Carbon reduction is now at the core of the rating system. Roughly half of the available points are tied to operational energy performance, electrification, and the embodied carbon of materials. These changes encourage the use of high-efficiency electric systems, reductions in fossil fuel dependence, and life cycle carbon analysis during design and procurement. This marks a significant departure from LEED v4, which emphasized energy modeling but gave less weight to actual carbon impact.
Climate Risk Must Be Addressed
A new prerequisite requires teams to conduct a climate risk and resilience assessment. This includes evaluating the impact of extreme weather, long-term environmental shifts, and social vulnerability. The intent is to ensure that buildings are not only energy efficient but also resilient to the conditions they will face over their lifetimes.
Greater Emphasis on Health, Comfort, and Community Impact
LEED v5 expands its focus on indoor environmental quality to address more dimensions of occupant wellbeing. In addition to familiar IAQ strategies, the system now recognizes efforts to improve mental health, daylighting, acoustic performance, and thermal comfort. Credits are also awarded for reducing environmental impacts on surrounding communities, such as light pollution and noise.
Social equity and environmental justice considerations are more deeply embedded throughout the framework. Projects that engage local stakeholders and respond to community needs can now receive recognition in ways that were previously limited to pilot credits.
A New Standard for Platinum Certification
LEED Platinum has been redefined. In addition to achieving 80 or more points, projects must meet additional performance benchmarks, including zero operational emissions, full electrification, and comprehensive embodied carbon analysis. This ensures that the highest level of certification is reserved for truly exemplary, climate-forward buildings.
A More Predictable Update Schedule
USGBC has committed to updating the LEED system on a consistent five-year cycle moving forward. Future versions are expected in 2030, 2035, and beyond. This brings welcome clarity and predictability to long-term sustainability planning.
What Project Teams Should Know
Expect a Higher Bar for Certification
Achieving certification under LEED v5 will be more demanding. The scoring system has been realigned to reward outcomes over strategies, and the thresholds for certification levels are more challenging. Many projects that would achieve LEED Gold under v4 may only reach Silver or Certified under v5, unless significant additional design and engineering effort is made. Teams will need to approach LEED v5 with a deeper level of coordination, analysis, and documentation.
Consider Registering Projects Under LEED4 (While It’s Still Available)
For projects in early design or planning stages, we recommend continuing to register under LEED v4 or v4.1 through the first quarter of 2026. This provides greater flexibility, more familiar pathways to compliance, and reduced administrative complexity. The registration cost is modest (typically under $1,500 per building), and once a project is registered, it remains eligible for certification under that version until early 2032, assuming final documentation is submitted by then.
Although LEED v5 is now available for new project registrations, we recommend approaching it selectively. Unless your team is specifically targeting v5-aligned goals such as full electrification or zero carbon, it’s wise to register under v4 while you still can. Ambitious projects can always opt into v5 later.
Moving Forward with Confidence
LEED v5 challenges all of us to do more. It reflects a broader understanding of how buildings affect people, communities, and the planet. This update raises the bar, but it also opens the door for meaningful progress on climate action, resilience, and occupant wellbeing.
At Engenium Group, sustainability is at the heart of our engineering practice. We have long leveraged LEED and other forward-thinking frameworks, including ILFI’s Net Zero Energy and Living Building Challenge, and Passive House (PHIUS), to guide high-performance, low-impact building design. Our portfolio includes numerous net-zero energy and carbon-conscious projects across a range of sectors, and we’re proud to collaborate with clients who share our commitment to a more sustainable built environment.
We are especially excited to see LEED evolve in ways that mirror our own values—prioritizing not just energy efficiency, but also occupant wellness, material transparency, and resilience. As LEED v5 takes center stage, Engenium looks forward to continuing our leadership in sustainability by aligning with this new vision and helping our clients pursue the highest standards of environmental stewardship and design innovation.
We view this as an opportunity to lead—together with our clients—toward smarter, cleaner, more responsible design. We’re ready to help you meet the moment and build what’s next.
