New LEED Pilot ACP designed to help eliminate irresponsibly sourced materials

USGBC’s recent quarterly addenda to the LEED green building rating system includes a new pilot Alternative Compliance Path (ACP) credit that is designed to eliminate irresponsibly sourced materials.

One aim is to advance environmentally responsible forest management to help rid buildings of illegal wood by promoting wood that is verified to be legal. The pilot ACP builds on the robust infrastructure that has been built around responsible wood sourcing and chain of custody to test an approach to prerequisite requirements.

This approach to wood could serve as a model for other building materials, USGBC says. This pilot ACP is applicable to both LEED 2009 and LEED v4 systems. LEED has always rewarded leadership in materials specification, but this new approach focuses attentionon the significant need for more comprehensive and effective legality verification of building products, according to USGBC.

“We want LEED to be a significant driver for stopping illegal logging,” says Rick Fedrizzi, CEO andfounding chair, USGBC. “As we have begun looking at approaches to incentivize responsible sourcing of all materials that go into our buildings—such as concrete, steel, copper and other materials—we recognize the need to address both the top—rewarding the best—as well as the bottom by eliminating unacceptable practices.”