In April 2025, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) released LEED v5, the most significant update to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standard in over a decade. The changes are significant and will affect every aspect of a project’s life cycle, from early carbon assessments through final reporting. 

“The new version focuses on decarbonization, quality of life and ecological conservation and restoration,” says Cam Koch, a PCL manager of sustainable construction and one of the company’s 325 LEED-accredited employees. “It requires greater reductions in whole-life carbon emissions than LEED 4.1 does, integrates life-cycle assessments and emphasizes long-term climate resilience.” 

LEED v5 introduces a project-level impact reporting system and reinforces transparency, verification and performance tracking. After certification, every project will receive a comprehensive performance report, including carbon metrics, quality of life indicators and resilience outcomes. These reports support both internal sustainability reporting and external investor or regulatory disclosure.  

A few of the changes between LEED v4.1 and LEED v5 are highlighted below, but one thing that hasn’t changed is the collaborative approach that is essential to a successful certification under any rating system.  

“Successful projects inevitably start with early, ‘big-table’ collaboration between all stakeholders in a project,” says Koch. “Early integration of the team – ideally in preconstruction – and identification of challenges and solutions will pay big dividends in the long run.” 

This level of collaboration can be supported by choosing a project delivery method that includes a general contractor like PCL from the earliest stages. 

Projects can continue to register for certification under LEED v4 and v4.1 until the end of Q1 2026, but if a client is interested in LEED v5, they should be aware of the changes introduced across all major rating categories: 

All projects must now complete: 

  • A carbon assessment to establish a baseline carbon footprint and outline reduction pathways;
  • A climate resilience assessment to identify environmental risks and adaptation strategies; and 
  • A human impact assessment to address occupant health and well-being and to identify community outcomes. 
  • There is a new prerequisite for embodied carbon quantification; 
  • There is a new credit that rewards teams for demonstrating carbon reductions through material substitution, design efficiency or low-impact materials; and 
  • There is a new credit for the use of salvaged, refurbished, or reused materials. 
  • A new electrification credit rewards the elimination of on-site combustion; 
  • Enhanced commissioning is now tied to ANSI/ASHRAE/IES 202-2024; and 
  • Projects targeting Platinum must use 100% renewable energy and eliminate on-site combustion except for emergency systems. 
  • The updated air quality standards reference ASHRAE 62.1-2022; 
  • The USGBC moved the low-emitting materials credit to materials and resources category; and 
  • LEED v5 combines thermal comfort, daylight, views, and acoustics into a single occupant experience credit. 
  • The USGBC consolidated credits into Compact and Connected Development and Transportation Demand Management; 
  • A new credit was introduced for electric vehicles; and 
  • There is an increased emphasis on equitable access and transit quality. 
  • LEED v5 introduces a comprehensive credit for water efficiency and adds a credit for water metering and leak detection. 

The LEED-Platinum-certified, mass timber Burwell Center at the University of Denver uses evaporative cooling and dedicated outside air to reduce energy usage and keep the inside air fresh. Solar panels on the roof offset building energy usage.

Many clients choose to pursue LEED because they want to build sustainable, resilient projects, but as the USGBC notes, LEED-certified assets have also been proven to drive return on investment and greater future earning potential. Notably, the USGBC says, LEED buildings achieve a 21.4% higher average market sales price per square foot over non-LEED buildings; average 11% higher rent rates; attract more favorable and stable financing options; and reduce water, energy and waste by more than 20%. These environments also result in healthier and more productive employees and occupants.  

PCL has completed more than 265 LEED-certified projects, valued at more than $20.4 billion. These projects include the University of Denver’s Burwell Center (Platinum), George Brown College’s Limberlost Place (Gold) and the 47-storey office tower, 160 Front (Platinum and WELL Building Standard). 

These are complex projects, but – with PCL’s in-house experts, including our Sustainable Retrofits and Decarbonization (SR&D) services team – PCL is ready to help clients find sustainable, resilient solutions that meet their budget, schedule and vision for projects at every scale and across all building sectors. 

The 47-storey office tower 160 Front prioritizes sustainability with the pursuit of LEED Platinum and WELL Building Standard certifications.