LEED Certified--Going Green is a Boon for Business

Going green! That is the modus operandi for today's businesses, residents, and what the U.S. public increasingly demands.  Consequently, what has been occurring over the past few years is new building projects have sought the green standard of LEED certification.  Nevertheless, the question remains:  Is LEED certification going to happen with all new construction and, if not, why?  If, for example, the long-term benefits from an environmental and economic standpoint are good by going LEED certified, why isn't this certification mandatory?

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, obtaining LEED certification carries many benefits such as "a number of state and local government incentives, and can help boost press interest in your project."  As such, the short-term benefits for a business that obtains LEED certification include things like government incentives and good press.  Consequently, LEED certification can be seen as a boon or win-win for a business since they are attracting potentially more environmentally conscious customers than if they had not obtained this unique certification.  Yet, obstacles seem to remain in terms of obtaining LEED certification since not every commercial or residential development has taken the initiative to go "LEED."

The difficulty in obtaining LEED certification is due in large part to the criteria.  For example, the U.S. Green Buildings Council reports "While most of the LEED-CI credits target the interior environment of a building, some reach beyond the scope of an interior project and a tenant's ability to achieve them. Such-difficult-to-achieve credits include storm water management, elimination of CFCs, commissioning of the energy-related systems and signing of long-term leases."  So, LEED opponents, for example, may successfully argue that 'well, why should we obtain this certification if it includes things beyond our control?'  However, things such as storm-water management while on the exterior are still within the control of a business owner.  What LEED's certification means is energy efficiency in every sense of the word--both inside the building and outside with things like cutting down on water use.

As a result, the arguments about going green being somewhat difficult are valid in the sense that changing business practices from the status quo may not be easy at least in the short-term since there is a transition period.  However, the long-term benefits with things like less energy consumption and lower water use are enormous and cannot be ignored or discounted.  Thus, it is possible the reason why LEED has not been sought universally is due to things like transitioning from what has traditionally been done to a new system.  It may take time, but LEED certification nevertheless should be pursued and preferably sooner rather than later.