Will LEED Last?

"With climate-change concerns growing, the program is on everyone's radar. After all, buildings use about 70 percent of the electricity produced in the United States, more than half of which is generated by coal, the dirtiest fuel and worst contributor to global warming. In the absence of any substantial federal effort, LEED has almost by default become the primary way American builders tackle our daunting environmental challenges."

"And yet the program has only certified about a thousand buildings since its inception in 2000. It's a tiny accomplishment compared to the 1.4 million homes that will start construction in 2007-a slow year. But LEED numbers are growing rapidly (see map). According to Scot Horst, chair of USGBC's LEED steering committee, there are 40,000 LEED-accredited professionals. "That suggests the level of market transformation." Dozens of municipalities now either encourage or require certification for building projects. Companies that did not even know what the acronym stood for a year ago now clamor for a Platinum rating."