Courses

Climate action in the built environment extends beyond efficient buildings to include decisions about where projects are located, how people travel, and how development connects to existing infrastructure. In LEED v5, the Location and Transportation (LT) category elevates these considerations as critical levers for achieving decarbonization, resilience, and livability at the community scale. This course […]

Climate change, population growth, and aging infrastructure are intensifying water stress worldwide, requiring projects to rethink how water is sourced, used, and managed. In LEED v5, the Water Efficiency (WE) category shifts from prescriptive conservation toward a performance- and stewardship-based framework that treats water as a climate system—deeply connected to energy use, carbon emissions, ecosystems,

The Materials and Resources (MR) category in LEED v5 represents a fundamental shift in how projects address climate impact, resource use, and supply-chain responsibility. Rather than treating materials as isolated product choices, LEED v5 frames them as interconnected systems that influence embodied carbon, waste generation, human health, and ecological outcomes across the full building life

LEED v5 marks the most significant evolution of the LEED rating system to date, reframing sustainability around measurable outcomes rather than isolated credit strategies. As climate risks intensify and expectations around health, equity, and performance continue to rise, building professionals must be prepared to think differently about how projects are planned, designed, constructed, and operated.

LEED v5 marks a significant evolution of the LEED rating system—moving beyond incremental efficiency gains toward measurable outcomes in decarbonization, quality of life, and ecological conservation and restoration. Rather than focusing solely on individual credits, LEED v5 introduces an impact-based framework that emphasizes early planning, systems thinking, and long-term performance. This article course presents the