Dive Brief:

• The U.S. Green Building Council is upping its game in proselytizing for its LEED rating system as the standard for green building in the U.S. and globally.
• The group has put out three reports that look at various aspects of the rating system's 20-year growth: how people have adopted LEED goals and the progress made, where LEED has taken root and the policies it has spawned, and how the program has spurred innovation in construction and materials.
• One example USGBC gives is that U.S. General Services Administration buildings that have been built or renovated using LEED standards use 75% of the energy of non-LEED buildings.

Dive Insight:

USGBC's standard has become a target, which is almost inevitable for a program that dominates the U.S. and global green-building efforts. There have been efforts to allow for multiple standards for use in federal buildings, and some state legislatures have taken aim at LEED, saying that the way the standard disqualifies wood products from some states for sustainability credits means LEED should not be their states' method for going green.