The Ultimate Guide to LEED v5 Construction for General Contractors

The most comprehensive educational resource for general contractors, filled with practical guidance on how to navigate and achieve LEED v5 construction credits.

Introduction to the Ultimate Guide

by Tommy Linstroth
Founder and CEO at Green Badger
LEED Fellow

Hey! I'm Tommy, founder of Green Badger, and I'm back…back again - Tommy’s back, tell a friend…guess who’s back, guess who’s back, guess who’s back. Kk, ok, who thought you’d get some Slim Shady to kick off - you guessed it - the Ultimate Guide to LEED v5. We are going to break down everything you — as a general contractor (or heck, consultant, subcontractor, architect, Steve from accounting) — need to know to successfully manage LEED v5 construction credit documentation.

If you made it through our Ultimate Guide to LEED v4 and v4.1, first of all, congratulations on your resilience. Second, good news: a lot of what you learned still applies. But LEED v5 is the most significant update to the rating system in over a decade, and there are some genuinely new things you need to get your head around — particularly around embodied carbon, which is now front and center in a way it never was before.

By the end of reading this guide, you'll know exactly what's new, what's familiar, what's worth pursuing, and what's going to make your head spin. I'll save you the 400 pages of reference guide reading and the inevitable laptop-throwing frustration. That's what 250+ LEED projects I’ve personally slogged through along with thousands of project teams running through Green Badger buys you.

Let's get into it.

A Quick Note on LEED v5 Timing

LEED v5 was balloted and ratified by USGBC members in March 2025, with the final rating system and reference guide published in April 2025. It's now available for registration for BD+C, ID+C, and O+M projects.

Here's the important thing: v4 and v4.1 aren't going away overnight. USGBC has published registration close and certification sunset dates, so you can still register new projects under v4 and v4.1 at least through June 2026 (as of March 4, 2026). That said, the industry is moving to v5, and if you're reading this guide, it's time to get ready.

The big headline with LEED v5? Nearly half of all available certification points now tie directly to carbon reduction. Decarbonization isn't a nice-to-have anymore — it's the center of gravity. LEED v5 is organized around three core impact areas:

Decarbonization — targeting reductions in embodied carbon, operational carbon, refrigerants, and transportation emissions
Quality of Life — improving health, well-being, resilience, and equity for occupants and communities
Ecological Conservation and Restoration — limiting environmental degradation and restoring ecosystems

Every single credit and prerequisite connects back to one of these three. That's a meaningful shift from v4.1, where sustainability was largely about ticking boxes. In v5, the question USGBC is asking is: what impact is this building actually having?

Beautiful landscape of cityscape with city building around lumpini park in bangkok Thailand

What's New vs. What's the Same: The GC's Cheat Sheet

Before diving into each credit, here's the 30-second version:

New and Notable:

Brand new prerequisite: Quantify and Assess Embodied Carbon (MRp2) — every project must now document the carbon footprint of their primary materials. No way around it.
Brand new credit: Reduce Embodied Carbon (MRc2) — up to 6 points for demonstrating actual carbon reductions
Construction IAQ Management is now a prerequisite under EQp1, not just a credit (and it includes Extreme Heat Protection for workers — more on that)
Building and Materials Reuse (MRc1) is a consolidated credit worth up to 7 points (but only 2 points if you’re not reusing an existing building)
Building Product Selection and Procurement (MRc4) replaces the BPDO credits with a broader category-based scoring approach
IAQ Testing and Monitoring (EQc5) is the revised Indoor Air Quality Assessment and is still worth up to 2 points
Platinum certification now has specific requirements — you must address electrification and operational carbon to get there

How to Manage LEED Construction Credits

Last but not least, this guidance still holds true from the original Ultimate Guide — how the LEED documentation process should work. Should is important. If you want to ensure it's done correctly, minimize the risk of losing LEED points, and avoid a death march to the finish line that has you living on cold pizza and broken dreams for the last two months of the project, there are some things you need to do throughout construction — not at the end of it.

In the following sections, we're going to walk through each LEED v5 construction credit in the order you'll actually encounter them on the job site, from dirt work to punch list. For each one, you'll get the requirements, strategies, best practices, and a recap so you can actually use this thing in the field.

Could you theoretically ignore all of this until 30 days before closeout and white-knuckle your way to certification? Maybe. People have survived on worse decisions. But with v5, some of this documentation has a hard expiration date — you can't carbon-track materials that are already in the ground, and you can't recreate IAQ inspection reports that were never taken. The window closes. Plan accordingly.

SSp: Minimized Site Disturbance (formerly Construction Activity Pollution Prevention)

The artist formerly known as SSp1 Construction Activity Pollution Prevention has been rebranded, consolidated, and slightly updated. Same spirit, new name, updated standard.

What Changed in LEED v5

In LEED v4 and v4.1, this was a standalone prerequisite. In v5, USGBC has rolled the old Construction Activity Pollution Prevention prerequisite together with the Site Assessment credit into a new combined prerequisite: Minimized Site Disturbance.

The core requirement is still the same: develop and implement an erosion and sedimentation control plan for all construction activities. What's updated is the reference standard — v5 now requires compliance with the 2022 EPA Construction General Permit (CGP), rather than the 2017 version referenced in v4.1 (or the 2012 version in v4).

Also new: v5 explicitly requires written narratives and photographs documenting compliance. So if you've been keeping handwritten binders and calling it a day, it's time to level up your documentation game. Sure would be great if you had an app for that, wink wink…

Strategies for Minimized Site Disturbance

The fundamentals haven't changed. Keep dirt on-site, keep it out of waterways and storm drains, and keep dust from blowing off-site. Your civil engineer should still be the one providing a compliant ESC plan — your job as the GC is to implement it, monitor it, and document it.

What's worth noting is that the new 2022 CGP standard may be more stringent than some state-level standards, so check with your civil engineer or environmental consultant to confirm which standard is more stringent for your project location. Same rule as before: use whichever is stricter.

The photo documentation requirement is actually helpful if you're using a modern field tool (hint, hint) — snapping inspection photos as you walk the site is a lot better than trying to reconstruct your compliance story at the end of the job.

Green Badger's Ultimate Guide - Engineer to General Contractor ESC process

Let's recap the strategy:

Verify whether the 2022 EPA CGP or local standard is more stringent — use the stricter one
Get the civil engineer's ESC plan and implement the BMPs as designed
Inspect at minimum monthly and after rain events — document with written narrative and photos
Fix deficiencies fast and document corrective actions
Compile a sample of inspections (early, mid, and late construction) for LEED submission

Green Badger's Ultimate Guide to LEED - ESC process

Best Practices for Minimized Site Disturbance

Don't repeat the same deficiency in consecutive inspection reports without a corrective action. USGBC reviewers notice, and it signals you're not actually managing the issue.
Digitize your inspections. Paper binders might satisfy your local permit office, but they're a pain at LEED submission time.
Don't forget dust control — watering, temporary seeding, and mulching are still things reviewers ask about.
Zero lot line? Still required. Even if you have literally no dirt, you need to document that you've thought this through.

Download the SSp1 LEED credit guidance ebook

New Prerequisite: MRp2 — Quantify and Assess Embodied Carbon

Here's the big new one. If there's a single thing in LEED v5 that's going to require a mindset shift from general contractors, this is it.

For the first time ever, every LEED-certified project is required to document the embodied carbon footprint of its primary building materials. No opt-in, no alternative path. This is a prerequisite — meaning you don't complete it, you don't get certified. Period.

What Is Embodied Carbon, Exactly?

Embodied carbon is the greenhouse gas emissions associated with manufacturing, transporting, and installing building materials — the carbon that's "baked in" before anyone ever flips the lights on. Think concrete, structural steel, insulation, glass, aluminum. These materials have a carbon footprint tied to how they're made, and LEED v5 wants you to quantify it.

The unit you care about is Global Warming Potential, or GWP, measured in kilograms of CO2 equivalent (kgCO2e). Every product's EPD should include this data — and this is yet another reason why EPDs matter, now more than ever.

Requirements for MRp2

At a minimum, you need to quantify the embodied carbon for the project's structure, enclosure, and hardscape materials. USGBC has identified a mandatory list that includes: asphalt, concrete, masonry, structural steel, insulation, aluminum extrusions, cladding, glass, and structural wood and composites.

Here's what the prerequisite actually asks you to do:

Build a Bill of Materials (BoM) — quantities of each major structure, enclosure, and hardscape material, with units and installation locations
Pull EPDs for each material and record the GWP value from lifecycle stages A1–A3 (cradle to gate: raw material extraction, transport to manufacturer, and manufacturing)
Calculate the total embodied carbon for the project
Identify the top 3 contributors — the materials with the highest carbon impacts, also called "hot spots"
Develop a strategy to reduce the impact of those hot spots — and document it

A few important nuances: you don't actually have to achieve reductions to satisfy the prerequisite. It's a "know your footprint and have a plan" requirement, not a "demonstrate improvement" requirement — that comes in the credit. But you do have to show you actually thought about it, not just calculated the number and moved on.

Also worth noting: the broader context here is LEED v5's new Carbon Assessment prerequisite (IPp3), which asks teams to evaluate both operational and embodied emissions across the building's 25-year life. For Core and Shell projects, there's an additional Tenant Guidelines prerequisite (IPp4) that requires the base building to communicate sustainability features — including embodied carbon data — to future tenants. The intent is to give tenants a roadmap rather than leaving them to start from scratch.

The MRp2 documentation feeds directly into MRc2 Reduce Embodied Carbon for teams pursuing that credit. Set it up right the first time.

Strategies for MRp2

The most important thing here is to start early. The worst time to start your material takeoff is during closeout. You want this running alongside your normal procurement process.

Tools like EC3 (free, from the Carbon Leadership Forum) or Green Badger's embodied carbon feature make this considerably less painful. You're essentially building a material quantity log and pulling GWP values from EPDs — the more product-specific EPDs you have, the more accurate your baseline. Where product-specific EPDs aren't available, industry-wide EPDs are acceptable.

For most projects, the top 3 carbon contributors will look familiar: concrete will almost always be #1, followed by structural steel, and then either masonry or insulation depending on project type. This is well-documented in the Carbon Leadership Forum's benchmarks, so there won't be many surprises.

The strategies piece — describing how you considered reducing carbon impacts — doesn't require you to have made dramatic substitutions. Things like specifying supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) in concrete, using Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) steel, or selecting insulation with low blowing agent GWP all count. Document the conversation, even if the decision didn't change.

Bottom line: Get the Bill of Materials started at permit set, pull EPDs through your normal submittal process, run the calculation, document the top 3 contributors and your response, and you're done. It's more work than LEED v4.1 required on the materials front, but with the right tools and process, it's manageable.

New Credit: MRc2 — Reduce Embodied Carbon

This credit builds directly off MRp2 and offers up to 6 points — the most of any single materials credit in the system. There are three options, and teams choose which approach fits best. The benchmark you're comparing against is the Carbon Leadership Forum's 2025 Baseline — this tells you whether your materials perform better than industry averages.

Option 1: Whole Building Life-Cycle Assessment (wbLCA)

The Cadillac option. Up to 6 points are available for projects that conduct a comprehensive whole-building LCA and demonstrate reductions in global warming potential. A wbLCA covers all life cycle stages — product manufacturing (A1-A3), construction (A4-A5), use stage (B1-B7), end of life (C1-C4), and beyond system boundary (Module D). This requires specialized LCA software (Athena, Tally, One Click LCA) and typically involves your sustainability consultant. If you're targeting Platinum, this is worth the investment.

Option 2: EPD-Based Analysis

This option doesn't require the full wbLCA but does require EPD analysis across the project's materials. Points are awarded based on demonstrating reduced embodied carbon against the CLF benchmark, with up to 3 points available. You need product-specific EPDs where available and exact material quantities. Tools like EC3 or Green Badger's embodied carbon module can handle this calculation.

Option 3: Structure, Enclosure, and Hardscape Focus

The most targeted approach — focuses just on the categories required in the prerequisite. Up to 2 points for meeting the CLF benchmark standard for 3 or 5 of the material types. For teams who are already tracking their embodied carbon for the prerequisite, Option 3 is the easiest path to 2 points without a lot of additional effort.

Construction Emissions: Bonus Points

One more opportunity within this credit: tracking emissions during construction activities. One point is available for the GC tracking fuel and utility usage on-site. A second point is available if you expand tracking to subcontractors as well.

This is genuinely new territory for most GCs. Tracking diesel consumption for equipment, electrical use in the job trailer, and propane for temporary heat — and eventually getting your subs to report the same — is the direction the industry is heading. Getting ahead of it now will pay dividends on future projects.

Green Badger's Ultimate Guide to LEED - Best Practices for MRc2 Option 2

Let's recap the strategy:

If you're doing a wbLCA anyway (for Platinum targeting), go for Option 1 and all 6 points
If not, Option 3 is the path of least resistance — 2 points with the same documentation you already built for the prerequisite - as long as you do not exceed the CLF baseline for those materials
Option 2 is worth it for projects with strong EPD coverage across materials OR that show significant improvements over the baseline - and an additional point is available
Seriously consider tracking fuel and utility consumption on-site — that's 1-2 easy points if you have the process

New Prerequisite: EQp1 — Construction Management (IAQ + Extreme Heat Protection)

The v4/v4.1 Construction Indoor Air Quality Management Plan — formerly a credit — is now a prerequisite under EQp1, and simply called Construction Management. It's exactly the same measures as v4/4.1, but they've added on one new requirement: Extreme Heat Protection for your workers.

Take a deep breath of (clean, because we've now got an IAQ management plan) air and exhale, because this one is pretty straightforward. Develop and implement an IAQ plan that hits the SMACNA standards, don't let stuff get wet, use filters if you're running the HVAC, add measures for heat protection, and don't smoke in or near the building. Take monthly date/time-stamped photos with comments and boom — you've earned the prerequisite.

The IAQ Management Plan

Develop and implement an IAQ management plan that covers all of the following:

During construction, meet or exceed the recommended control measures of the SMACNA IAQ Guidelines for Occupied Buildings Under Construction, 2nd edition, 2007 (ANSI/SMACNA 008-2008), Chapter 3
Protect absorptive materials stored on-site and installed from moisture damage
Do not operate permanently installed HVAC equipment unless MERV-8 filters are installed at each return air grille and return
Immediately before occupancy, replace all filtration media with the final design media
Prohibit smoking inside the building and within 25 feet of building openings — and yes, in your cannabis-friendly states, this includes cannabis, vaping, and electronic smoking devices. No pulling tubers by the building.
Implement Extreme Heat Protection measures (more on this below)

What Are the SMACNA Measures?

The good people at the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning National Contractors Association have put forth pretty straightforward measures to implement on your project — when applicable. Not every project will have every measure. Important caveat: if you put something in your plan that you don't actually implement, the reviewers are going to ask why it's documented. Kinda makes you wanna SMACNA a LEED reviewer, if you know what I mean.

Here are the SMACNA measures and how they apply:

No Smoking — Prohibit smoking during construction except in designated areas at least 25 feet from the building. Install signage.

Extreme Heat Protection — Implement measures protecting construction workers from extreme heat (see below).

HVAC Protection — Keep contaminants out of the HVAC system. Don't run permanently installed equipment if possible, or maintain MERV-8 filtration if it must be used. Seal all ductwork, registers, diffusers, and returns with plastic when stored or not in service. The biggest challenge here: every sub working in the area seems to want to remove or damage your wrapped ducts. Inspect frequently.

Source Control — Use low-toxicity and low-VOC materials where possible. Develop protocols for high-toxicity materials. Prevent exhaust fumes from entering the building. Enforce the no-smoking policy. And protect stored absorptive materials from moisture — there's an acronym for this: DLSGWIYB. Don't Let Stuff Get Wet Inside Your Building. Fine, I just made that up, but it gets to the point. Gypsum board, ceiling tiles, carpet — anything that can absorb moisture — needs to be stored dry, elevated off the floor, and away from openings. Not rocket science. DLSGWIYB.

Pathway Interruption — If sections of the building are finishing at different times, hang plastic sheeting to prevent contamination from spreading, and use walk-off mats at entryways.

Housekeeping — Keep a clean jobsite. Use HEPA vacs, sweeping compounds, and wetting agents. Keep materials organized.

Scheduling — Keep trades that affect IAQ physically isolated and separated from each other by the schedule. Schedule drywall finishing and carpet installation for different days or sections. Install absorptive-finish materials after wet-applied materials have fully cured.

If you're running the HVAC system — because sometimes it's just too hot or cold to not — you'll need lots of pictures of those filters plus the make/model number, so keep good records.

Side note: if you're planning to do air quality testing or a flush-out after construction (see EQc5 below), reference it in this IAQ plan. And if you're using a template plan and you're NOT doing testing or flush-out — delete that section so reviewers don't ask about it.

Extreme Heat Protection

Here are the SMACNA measures and how they apply:

No Smoking — Prohibit smoking during construction except in designated areas at least 25 feet from the building. Install signage.

Extreme Heat Protection — Implement measures protecting construction workers from extreme heat (see below).

Pathway Interruption — If sections of the building are finishing at different times, hang plastic sheeting to prevent contamination from spreading, and use walk-off mats at entryways.

Housekeeping — Keep a clean jobsite. Use HEPA vacs, sweeping compounds, and wetting agents. Keep materials organized.

If you're running the HVAC system — because sometimes it's just too hot or cold to not — you'll need lots of pictures of those filters plus the make/model number, so keep good records.

Strategies for Construction Management

This credit is straightforward to achieve. You need time to plan it out, because none of it really goes into effect until vertical construction begins (except extreme heat protection, which would need to be considered from the get go). For Interiors projects, you don't have this luxury — show up on day one with a plan ready to go.

First, identify which SMACNA measures are relevant for your project and include them in your IAQ management plan. Then inform all subs — make sure it's communicated AND enforced. Finally, document implementation with IAQ inspection reports at least monthly, if not more frequently. For new construction, this typically starts when HVAC equipment arrives. For Interiors, it's day one.

Let's recap the strategy:

Develop your IAQ Management Plan with all relevant SMACNA measures, and include specific sections for Absorptive Material Protection, HVAC use, No Smoking, and Extreme Heat Protection
Communicate that plan and expectations to all subs and team members
Once HVAC arrives (or immediately for Interiors), start monthly IAQ inspection reports
DLSGWIYB
Add Extreme Heat Protection measures — document them and enforce them

Best Practices for Construction Management

Use an IAQ plan template that's been vetted on other LEED projects. There are plenty of examples out there (heck, check out ours) — don't start from scratch.
Don't put off IAQ inspections, and don't just take 10,000 construction photos and try to find useful ones at the end. Create standardized monthly reports with the Green Badger mobile app.
Make sure the no-smoking policy is clearly posted around the building exterior — and enforce it.
Track all your filters during construction and prior to installation, because reviewers will ask about it.
A note on scheduling documentation: this one is tough to document with photos even though reviewers sometimes ask for it. Take pictures of paint drying to show carpet wasn't installed? Who knows — but try to get something on record.

Summary for EQp1:

Develop the IAQ plan early
Create monthly inspection reports
Show a diversity of measures, a variety of areas of the building, and a variety of date/time-stamped photos
Note why you're showing each photo — why does it demonstrate the measure?
Ensure Extreme Heat Protection Measures are included and enforced

Updated Credit: MRc1 — Building and Materials Reuse

LEED v5 consolidates what were previously separate building reuse and material reuse creditsinto one: MRc1 Building and Materials Reuse, worth up to 7 points total. The credit intent is simple — use reused materials so we don't have to keep making everything from scratch. When we reuse, we lower embodied carbon, keep products out of landfills, and reduce the demand for new raw materials.

There are two options, and they serve very different project types.

Option 1: Building Reuse (Up to 5 points for C&S; Up to 3 points for NC)

Option 1 is about keeping the bones of the building instead of starting from scratch. If the floors, roof, walls, beams, and columns are still structurally sound, why knock them down? Reusing a building is one of the biggest carbon-saving moves a project team can make.

Structural elements include floor decking, roof decking, load-bearing walls, columns, and beams. Enclosure elements include exterior walls, façade, cladding, and structural framing. Roofing membranes, shingles, and window assemblies do not count — they're not part of the main structure or enclosure system.

Hazardous or structurally unsound materials must be excluded from calculations, confirmed by a structural engineer or hazardous materials professional.

The calculation is based on surface area. Record the total square footage of all existing structural and enclosure elements. Then record how much will be retained. Retained ÷ Total = reuse percentage. You can also include salvaged structural or enclosure materials brought in from off-site, as long as they're integrated into the building.

Points for New Construction:

% Retained

20%

35%

50%

Points

1

2

3

Points for Core & Shell:

% Retained

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Points

1

2

3

4

5

Option 2: Materials Reuse (2 points)

Option 2 is about giving materials a second life instead of sending them to the landfill. Think of it as building with a little creativity and a lot less waste. Reused materials save money, extend product life, and lower embodied carbon because no new manufacturing is required. Salvaged materials can come from the existing building or from off-site sources — other projects, salvage yards, Habitat for Humanity ReStores, donations.

Before any demolition or construction begins, the team must complete a salvage assessment — basically a treasure hunt with a clipboard. The team identifies what materials exist, how much there is, what condition they're in, and whether they can be reused. The assessment also scans local and regional markets for reclaimed materials that could be incorporated into the project.

Targeted materials — carpeting, ceilings, furniture, and interior walls — get extra attention because they often have high embodied carbon, big landfill impacts, and strong reuse potential. Lumber, doors, non-carpet flooring, lighting and plumbing fixtures, mechanical equipment, and door hardware also count. For furniture, you can use pieces as your unit of measure.

Points for Option 2:

Threshold

Reuse 15% of 1 target material type

Reuse ≥30% of 1 targeted material type, OR ≥15% of 2 targeted material types, OR ≥15% of 4 other material types

Points

1

2

Wait — What Counts Where?

This trips everyone up, so here's the cheat sheet:

Materials reused on-site → count toward MRc1 Material Reuse
Materials salvaged and sent elsewhere for reuse → count toward MRc5 C&D Waste Diversion
Products with ecolabels showing circular economy attributes (Cradle to Cradle, recycled content, takeback programs) → count toward MRc4 Building Product Selection and Procurement

Documentation: For Building Reuse, provide evidence of the existing building structure including contract documents showing what's being renovated. For Material Reuse, provide the salvage assessment and photos before, during, and after. Documentation matters — take more photos than you think you need. But the calculation itself is really easy - amount of reused material type divided by total amount of a material type (for example, the project has 10,000 sf of flooring and 2,000 sf were reused material - 2,000 / 10,000 = 20% = 1 point)

Updated Credit: MRc3 — Low-Emitting Materials

The good news: Low-Emitting Materials got simpler in v5. VOC content requirements — the ones that required you to check g/L limits for every adhesive, sealant, and coating — are completely gone. The only thing that matters now is emissions compliance. That's a meaningful simplification. Lastly, you can now track compliance for every category BY COST. Cost is far easier to calculate than trying to figure out how many tubes of caulk add up to a liter.
While other compliance metrics are available - I suggest stick to the benjamins and do it by dollars.

The not-so-great news: the path structure changed, and 2 points is going to be tougher than it
sounds.

Note: This credit was previously IEQc2 in v4/v4.1 and is now MRc3 in the Materials and
Resources category in v5.

Requirements for MRc3

Use materials on the building interior (everything within the waterproofing membrane) that meet the low-emitting criteria. There are up to 2 points available (except for Core and Shell, which gets 1 point maximum).

For New Construction:

Path 1, 1 point: Demonstrate >90% compliance for paints/coatings, flooring, and ceilings
Path 2, 2 points: Achieve Path 1 AND >80% compliance for two additional categories of your choice (adhesives/sealants, walls, insulation, composite wood)
Path 3, 2 points: Achieve Path 1 AND >80% compliance for the furniture category

For Core and Shell:

Path 1, 1 point: Demonstrate >90% compliance for ANY THREE of the following categories: paints/coatings, adhesives and sealants, flooring, ceilings, insulation, walls, composite wood

VOC Is No Longer Required!

Let me say that again louder for the people in the back: VOC compliance is completely gone
for v5. In v4/v4.1, any wet-applied products had to prove their VOC content (in g/L) was below the referenced standard for that product type. That requirement is gone. For adhesives, sealants, paints, and coatings, you no longer need to track or document VOC content. No more guessing, is this an architectural adhesive or a drywall adhesive? It doesn’t matter!

Emissions Compliance Is Still Required

The only referenced requirement now is the emissions evaluation: CDPH Standard Method v1.2-2017 (also called California Section 01350). For the most part in the US, this is the only standard you'll ever see.

Here's a plain-English explanation of what this test actually measures: it quantifies how much emissions come off a product after it's been installed. At this point there's no limit — technically a product can emit like a smokestack as long as it was tested using the CDPH requirements. Every product must meet these requirements to count. If it doesn't, it goes against your compliance budget. You can use some products without the testing, but not too many.

You'll see this information on any number of third-party certifications: GreenGuard Gold from UL, IAQ from SCS, Green Label Plus from CRI. All show the testing standard and the end TVOC emissions.

What About Furniture?

To comply with the furniture emissions evaluation, products must be tested in accordance with ANSI/BIFMA Standard Method M7.1–2011 (R2016) and ANSI/BIFMA e3-2014e Furniture Sustainability Standard. You'll find this on GreenGuard Gold certificates from UL or Indoor Advantage Gold from SCS.

What About Formaldehyde?

This one is more complicated than older LEED versions where you could use manufacturer statements claiming "no added formaldehyde." The two primary compliance routes now are:

EPA TSCA Title VI or CARB ATCM certification for ultra-low-emitting formaldehyde (ULEF) resins
EPA TSCA Title VI or CARB ATCM certification for no added formaldehyde (NAF) resins

You need actual EPA or CARB documents — you can't just show a manufacturer letter stating compliance. And for inherently non-emitting products (uncoated metals, stone, glass) or salvaged/reused products: they automatically comply, don't need any testing, and count in your favor. Keep that in your back pocket.

One nuance on ceramic/porcelain tile: Tile is no longer automatically considered inherently non-emitting. You'll need a manufacturer letter stating as such, or an emissions certificate. If the tile has any kind of binder or sealer, it needs an emissions cert.

The 8 Product Categories: What Should I Target?

Out of the 8 product categories you can potentially track, some are easier than others. Since as a GC you may not know upfront which ones will be compliant, the best policy is to track everything under your scope. That said, with the new v5 requirements, it makes the decision for you (for BD&C projects anyway. For BD&C, you HAVE to comply with paints, flooring and ceilings to earn a point, and then additional categories to earn a second point. Paints not compliant? Welp - zero points. Welcome to the bagel club.

Here's a quick breakdown of what we typically see in each category:

Flooring — Almost all carpet and vinyl flooring have CDPH testing. Ceramic and porcelain tile: see the note above. The category includes hard and soft surface flooring, raised flooring, wall base, underlayments, transition strips, stair nosing, entryway systems, and area rugs. Track by surface area or cost.

Paints & Coatings — Most major manufacturers (Benjamin Moore, PPG, Sherwin-Williams) have CDPH testing for a wide number of products. You may run into some specialty products that don't have it — not to despair! You're likely using vastly more primer/flat/semi-gloss than specialty application. The one biggie: floor coatings. If you're doing epoxy or other resinous floor coatings, they fall into paints — and you potentially use a lot of them. Track paints by volume, cost, or surface area.

Ceilings — Plenty of compliant options. Just be aware it goes beyond acoustical ceiling tiles. This includes ceiling panels, ceiling tile, surface ceiling structures like gypsum or plaster, suspended systems (including canopies and clouds), and glazed skylights. Track by surface area or cost.

Insulation — Most major manufacturers have plenty of compliant options. Includes all thermal and acoustic boards, batts, rolls, blankets, sound attention fire blankets, foamed-in-place, loose-fill, blown, and sprayed insulation. Track by surface area or cost.

Walls — This used to be a slam dunk, but more recent versions of LEED ask for interior and exterior windows and doors to be included in the calculations. The good news: they've dropped the requirements for curtainwall/storefronts in v5. The wall panels category includes all finish wall treatments, surface wall structures like gypsum or plaster, cubicle/curtain/partition walls, trim, interior and exterior doors, wall frames, interior and exterior windows, and window treatments. National manufacturers have plenty of options. Track by surface area or cost.

Furniture — For dedicated office furniture, most major manufacturers have options. Specialty furniture can get you. For projects heavy on standard workstations and office fare, this may be easy. For other project types it may be a challenge — thus we keep this one in our back pocket. Track by surface area, cost, or number of units.

Composite Wood — Wacky category. If a product doesn't fall into another category, you address it here. Getting actual CARB paperwork has become more cumbersome — keep this one in the pocket as well unless you really need it. Track by surface area or cost.

Adhesives & Sealants — We've already told you to punt. If you don't, have fun tracking PVC cement, duct mastic, carpet adhesive, thin-set mortar, VCT glue, building sealants, construction adhesives, and everything else in a tube or a bucket. And get your calculators out because you need to quantify it all in a common volume or cost. Have fun with the 4-oz can of CPVC cement and the 5-gallon bucket of flooring adhesive. Don't say we didn't warn you.

One important note: Adhesives/Sealants and Paints/Coatings still need VOC content documented in addition to CDPH compliance for this credit category in the calculator. All other categories only need CDPH compliance (enter cost for each product). Volume and costs from subs are required to show compliance percentages.

Strategies for Low-Emitting Materials

Let's recap the strategy:

Start your efforts with paints, flooring, and ceilings — those three are required for any points at all
Check the finish schedule early and often, and if possible, review with the architect to roadmap product selection
Try to knock these out in as few submittals as possible and move on
The 2 points will be tough — plan your category strategy early rather than hoping it works out at the end

Best Practices for Low-Emitting Materials

Using Green Badger makes this automated and headache-free. Just saying.
Roadmap as early as possible with the architects. More and more architects are detailing out specific products, but when they don't, get on the same page and build a joint strategy.
Use a LEED materials coversheet for your subcontractors. Making them fill this out solves multiple problems: it helps nail down material cost and quantities, requires the sub to think about LEED attributes, and gives you a way to cross-check backup documentation.
Make sure CDPH certificates are valid — or at least within a year of the expiration date.
Create a LEED Low Emitting folder. You've got to submit ALL of them to USGBC, so having them in one folder you can zip up and upload at the end will make life a lot easier.

Summary for MRc3:

More compliance options, less points available
Roadmap early with the design team
Focus on paints, flooring, ceilings — required for any points
Verify and log your low-emitting products into a folder for easy submission to USGBC

Updated Credit: MRc4 — Building Product Selection and Procurement (BPSP)

In LEED v5, the Building Product Selection and Procurement credit is here to shake things up. It's no longer a scavenger hunt for labels — it's about making smart, intentional product choices that actually move the needle on environmental and human health impacts.

Your go-to ecolabels (EPDs, HPDs, Declare, GreenGuard Gold, and friends) still matter, butnow they have to do something. They're evidence of real performance and transparency, not just participation trophies. LEED v5 stops treating all products as equal and starts rewarding the ones that prove lower embodied carbon, safer ingredients, and solid third-party verification.

The good news? You're still collecting much of the same documentation. The difference is how you use it: less box-checking, more strategy, and a clearer focus on products that support the project's sustainability goals.

The 5 Criteria Areas

BPSP in LEED v5 is organized around five criteria areas, drawn from the Mindful Materials Common Materials Framework, Cradle to Cradle Evaluations, and The AIA Materials Pledge:

Climate Health
Human Health
Ecosystem Health
Social Equity
Circular Economy

Instead of every product counting the same, LEED v5 uses a weighting system that gives more credit to products with bigger environmental and human health benefits. Products are assigned Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 based on whether they represent a first step toward sustainability, a leadership position, or the forefront of the industry.

The Points Structure

Points are straightforward: 1 point per product category that achieves 100% of its weighted value. You can earn points for up to 5 product categories — maximum 5 points total. A few critical rules:

Cannot exceed a multiplier of 5 on any individual product
No double dipping from the same criteria area — multiple attributes can stack for a product, but only the highest value in each criteria area is awarded

Provide Cost/Quantity for ALL Products in a Given Category

Here's what's really important to understand as a GC, and this is different from older versions of LEED: you need to provide the cost (or volume, area, or unit) for ALL products in a given category, not just the contributing products. In v4/v4.1, you only tracked products that had specific attributes. Now you track everything, and the software calculates your percentage compliance. This changes how you need to approach material tracking from the start.

The Product Categories — Familiar Friends + Plumbing!

If you've done Low-Emitting Materials, most of these categories will look familiar. There's one new addition: Plumbing Fixtures. The full list:

Paints and coatings
Adhesives and sealants
Flooring
Walls
Ceilings
Insulation
Furniture
Composite wood
Plumbing fixtures (new in v5 — water closets, urinals, lavatory and kitchen faucets, showerheads)

Strategy: What Should You Target?

Based on current project experience, here's how to think about this:

3 Solid Points (Insulation, Flooring, Ceilings) — Products in these categories tend to have strong EPD and HPD coverage from major manufacturers.

2 Maybe Points (Paints, Walls) — Achievable but requires more coordination.

Keep in Your Back Pocket (Plumbing Fixtures, Furniture, Composite Wood, Adhesives & Sealants) — More challenging documentation, hold these in reserve.

And remember: EPD + HPD = in the clear for most product categories. If you're already collecting EPDs for MRp2/MRc2 and HPDs for submittals, you're building BPSP credit simultaneously.

Why Aren't Structure, Enclosure, and Hardscape Here?

You might say: "I keep hearing about structure, enclosure, and hardscape — why aren't they in BPSP?" Those products are addressed in MRp2 and MRc2. BPSP is specifically looking at the five criteria areas above — the goal is to push manufacturers to produce, and architects to specify, more environmentally responsible materials, and to consider their impact on the overall performance of the project.

Strategies for BPSP

Think of BPSP as LEED's way of asking: "Did this project actually walk the talk?" For GCs, this credit shows up where you live every day: product selections, submittals, installs, and closeouts. Care now, and you avoid the classic end-of-project scramble where everyone's hunting for missing EPDs and mystery spec sheets.

Educate Architects. Preferably, the design team will have these attributes built into the specs. Sharing Green Badger resources is a great way to educate architects and others on the design team — and it will pay you back in future projects.

Let's recap the strategy:

Align with the design team early on which product categories you'll target
Require EPDs and HPDs on submittals for targeted categories — don't chase them at the end
Track costs/quantities for ALL products in a category, not just the compliant ones
Focus on insulation, flooring, and ceilings as your first three points
Let the weighted scoring do its job — more rigorous certifications score higher automatically

Best Practices for BPSP

It's critical that the GC team track quantities, tie documentation to what was actually installed, snap photos when it counts, and keep it all organized. Do that, and BPSP stops feeling like paperwork and starts feeling like a win: fewer headaches, smoother reviews, and bragging rights for running a tighter, smarter, more future-ready jobsite.

And of course, it goes without saying: a Green Badger subscription will do the heavy lifting.

Updated Credit: MRc5 — Construction and Demolition Waste Diversion

Construction waste management is pursued on nearly every LEED project, and for good reason. With proper planning, two points were achievable under v4. The updates to LEED v5 make 1 point likely achievable, but 2 points will be difficult because of a new requirement for a minimum percentage of source-separated materials. Based on project studies, the Green Badger team has found that current markets do not support 2 points easily — but that may change.

Key notes upfront:

Waste prevention is no longer an option in v5
You will need a third-party facility letter or you must take the 35% average for commingled
On-site separation is now required — 10% of materials for 1 point (along with 50% diversion), or 25% for 2 points (along with 75% diversion)
Unlike v4, you can no longer have a commingled recycling facility do the source separation for you and count it as separated — it must happen on-site

Best Practices for BPSP

All projects must develop and implement a Construction and Demolition Waste Management Plan that:

Identifies strategies to reduce waste during design and construction
Establishes waste diversion goals, identifying materials targeted for diversion
Describes diversion strategies and where materials will be taken, including expected diversion rates for each material

Provide a final waste management report detailing all waste generated, including disposal and diversion rates. Calculations can be by weight or volume but must be consistent throughout.

Exclude excavated soil and land-clearing debris from calculations. All materials destined for Alternative Daily Cover (ADC) must show as waste (not diversion) in the calculations.

Any materials sent to a commingled recycling facility must take a maximum of a 35% diversion rate unless the facility can produce a third-party letter or is an RCI Certified Facility. There are fewer than 25 RCI-certified facilities in the country, so we'll assume you don't have one next door.

To Earn 1 Point:

Written CWM Plan
50% waste diversion
New: At least 10% of materials must be source-separated and sent to single-material
recyclers

To Earn 2 Points:

Written CWM Plan
75% waste diversion
New: At least 25% of materials must be source-separated and sent to single-material recyclers

What Is a Material Stream?

A material stream is a flow of materials coming from a job site into markets for building materials — one material going to one end-use or facility. If you have a metals dumpster on-site and it all goes to one metal recycling company, that counts as one material stream.

One material can count as two streams. For example, if you're deconstructing a building and salvaging brick: good brick that goes to a reclaimed materials company is Stream 1. Broken brick recycled as aggregate is Stream 2.

Commingled is typically considered one material stream with a maximum 35% diversion rate.

What amount constitutes a stream? No fixed amount, but USGBC suggests 5% of total waste. You can't recycle 1 soda can and count aluminum as a material stream, but you can be strategic.

What doesn't count as a material stream? Land clearing debris, hazardous waste. Dispose of hazardous waste properly and document it in your plan, but don't include it in your diversion calculations.

Green Badger's Ultimate Guide to LEED - Material Streams Example

Strategies for MRc5

LEED v5 puts more weight on upstream decisions, not just what happens at the dumpster. The highest-performing projects reduce waste before it's generated, align specs, haulers, and subs early, and track by material — not just totals.

Develop a High-Performance Construction Waste Management Plan: Set diversion targets above minimum thresholds. Include material-specific goals (wood, metals, concrete, gypsum). Identify approved facilities and end markets, not just "recycling facility TBD." Require sub-level compliance.

Prioritize On-Site Separation: Separate material streams at the demolition or construction site: metals, clean wood, concrete, cardboard, gypsum. Remember that commingled gets a maximum 35% rate. And remember — unlike v4, you cannot have a recycling facility separate your commingled bins and count it as source-separated. It must be done on-site.

Choose Facilities With Proven End Markets: Use facilities that provide facility-specific diversion rates and can explain where the material actually ends up. If they can't, it's a red flag.

Track by Weight, Not Volume (Whenever Possible): Weight-based tracking is more accurate and more defensible. If volume is unavoidable, document your conversion factors consistently. USGBC uses EPA's volume-to-weight conversion factors:

Green Badger's Ultimate Guide to LEED - Strategies for MRc5

Material

Asphalt paving

Concrete

Gypsum board

Wood

Metal

Mixed C&D (bulk)

Cardboard (flat)

Conversion Factor

1 CY = 773 lbs

1 CY = 860 lbs

1 CY = 467 lbs

1 CY = 169–268 lbs

1 CY = 143–225 lbs

1 CY = 484 lbs

1 CY = 106 lbs

Train the Crew (Seriously): Don't assume crews just know. Do a kickoff toolbox talk on waste sorting. Post simple signage at dumpsters — with pictures, not paragraphs. Bilingual signage. One accountable person per trade. Less contamination = higher diversion = fewer rejected loads.

The Phased Dumpster Strategy: When you start site work and foundations, you'll likely only have concrete waste. A dedicated concrete dumpster during this timeframe is a no-brainer. When the building goes vertical, your commingled recycling dumpster takes the lion's share — copper pipe, drywall, carpet, tile, casework, wood, pallets. Add a metals dumpster because there's good value in scrap. Toward the end, phase in unique bins for wood, cardboard, gypsum as needed.

One last note on dumpsters: A "dumpster" doesn't mean a 20-yard container hanging out for weeks. A 90-gallon roll-off counts just as much. Empty it frequently to keep from overflowing and ending up in the waste pile. Especially useful on interiors projects.

Go Beyond Diversion With Reuse & Salvage: Reuse beats recycling every time in LEED logic. Salvage fixtures, doors, millwork, framing lumber. Donate where feasible (with receipts!). Note: materials recovered through salvage and reuse are included in MRc1 Building and Materials Reuse, not MRc5.

Resources:

Green Badger's sourcing and take-back programs guide
All For Reuse Ecosystem Map — useful for finding local reuse organizations

Let's recap the strategy:

Develop your plan with your hauler early — before construction starts
1 point is possible; 2 points will be difficult
Phase in material-specific dumpsters — concrete early, commingled during, targeted bins at the end
Make sure your source separation is happening on-site (facility-side separation no longer counts)
Communicate progress frequently — monthly at minimum

Best Practices for Construction Waste Management

Work through your CWM plan with your waste hauler: dumpster placement, where materials go, estimated totals.
Communicate the plan to all subs. Clearly label dumpsters by material. Bilingual signs. Not a tiny sticker — a big, clearly marked sign.
Track and report at least monthly. Getting waste reports six months after a dumpster pull doesn't help anyone. Monitor, report, and communicate so the team can change course if things start looking off.

Construction Waste Management Plan MRc5 LEED v4

GC Field Checklist Summary:

Pre-Construction: CWM plan finalized, diversion targets set, material-specific streams identified, haulers and facilities confirmed, requirements in Division 01 and subcontracts, salvage opportunities identified.

Site Setup: Separate dumpsters per material stream, clear visual signage, contamination prevention, toolbox talk completed.

During Construction: Waste sorted per plan, hauler tickets collected every haul (date, material type, weight, facility name), dumpster photos taken regularly.

Closeout: Final summary reviewed for accuracy, all tickets uploaded, lessons learned documented.

GC Reminders (Post These in the Trailer):

Reduce first, divert second
Weight beats volume
Photos prevent reviewer questions
Contamination kills diversion rates
Enter hauler reports into Green Badger monthly

New Credit: EQc5 — Indoor Air Quality Testing and Monitoring

Previously IEQc4 in v4, this credit has been updated in v5 and is worth up to 2 points. The goal: check the air to make sure it's actually safe to breathe before anyone moves in. Think of it as the IAQ "final exam" after construction wraps up.

Testing after construction gives the GC a reason to stick to best practices (EQp1) and use low-emitting materials (MRc3), confirms the space is safe for people, and proves the ventilation system is doing its job. Tests happen after construction is done and all furniture and finishes are installed, HVAC is tested and balanced, but before occupancy — with the building running like it normally would. Retail projects test within 14 days of occupancy.

Option 1: Pre-Occupancy Air Testing (1–2 Points)

Path 1 — Particulate Matter and Inorganic Gases (1 Point)

Test the air for dust and particles (PM2.5 and PM10) and gases like carbon monoxide and ozone. Test the required number of areas based on occupied floor area (per USGBC's Table 1) for 4 hours. Look at peak CO levels and average levels for everything else. All results must stay below the limits specified by USGBC. Pass the test → you're good. Fail → fix the issue, then retest.

Path 2 — Volatile Organic Compounds (1 Point)

This path focuses on VOCs — the chemicals that can off-gas from finishes, furniture, and materials. Run a TVOC screening test and test all specific VOCs. TVOC testing is a big-picture air check that flags when something might be off and guides you to look closer at specific VOCs. If TVOCs are over 500 μg/m³, dig deeper. Compare results to health-based limits. Fix any issues and retest if needed — ALL results must meet limits to earn the point.

VOC testing isn't a DIY science experiment — it must be done by an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited lab using the right methods.

You can do both Path 1 and Path 2 for 2 points total within Option 1.

Option 2: Continuous Indoor Air Monitoring (1 Point)

Instead of a one-time test, this option keeps an eye on the air permanently. Install building-grade monitors (not cheap consumer gadgets) that track: CO₂, PM2.5, Total VOCs, Temperature, and Relative Humidity.

Monitor requirements:

One monitor per 25,000 sq ft minimum of total occupied floor area
Mounted 3–6 feet above the floor (breathing zone)
At least 3 feet away from doors, windows, air filters, air supply outlets, exhaust intakes, stoves, printers, and other contaminant sources
Data logged automatically with hourly reporting

Bonus: Do Both for Maximum Points

Projects can pursue Option 1 + Option 2 for a total of 2 points. Test the air before occupancy and leave the monitors in place for ongoing tracking. Efficient and smart.

Attainment vs. Nonattainment Areas

This matters more than most teams realize. Attainment areas meet EPA air quality standards for PM, ozone, CO, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and lead. Nonattainment areas do NOT — outdoor air is already dirtier, which means there's less margin for error on your project. If you're in a nonattainment area: dust control matters more, combustion sources matter more, filtration and sequencing matter more.

What Crews Can Do Differently to Pass the Test

Control Dust: Use HEPA vacs instead of dry sweeping. Seal off dusty work zones. Cap ducts and diffusers during construction. Clean before starting finishes — don't wait until the end.

Limit Combustion Sources: Use electric equipment when possible. Minimize propane heaters indoors. No vehicle idling near air intakes.

Protect the Air System: Install MERV-rated filters early. Replace filters before IAQ testing.

Sequencing: Use low-emitting materials as specified. Allow proper cure time before testing. Finish dirty work before clean finishes go in.

Strategies for EQc5

Build clean from day one — follow EQp1 best practices and use low-emitting materials (MRc3). Clean site = clean air = pass the test.
Schedule testing after construction is fully complete, finishes installed, HVAC balanced, and before occupancy
Choose your option: one-time pre-occupancy testing, continuous monitoring, or both
Test and monitor regularly occupied spaces — different room types, multiple floors, different HVAC systems. Skip mechanical rooms and duct-mounted devices.
If you're in a nonattainment area, tighten everything up — there's less margin for error

Summary for EQc5:

Option 1: Prove the air is clean before move-in (up to 2 pts via Path 1 + Path 2)
Option 2: Keep watching air quality over time (1 pt)
Both: Best-in-class IAQ + up to 2 points
Clean site → clean air → pass the credit → happy occupants and owners

How to Manage LEED v5 Construction Credits: The Process

Everything you've just read is only useful if you actually implement it. So let me talk briefly about process — because the biggest LEED failures I've seen aren't about not knowing the credit requirements. They're about knowing the requirements and thinking you'll get to it later.

You won't get to it later. Construction is fast, chaotic, and unforgiving of retroactive documentation.

Here's the process that works:

Before Ground Break:

Register on Arc (USGBC's new platform — yes, it's replacing LEED Online)
Align with the design team on product categories you'll pursue for BPSP and Low-Emitting Materials
Set up embodied carbon tracking from the permit set
Get your waste hauler locked in and confirm their facility's average recycling rate in writing
Complete the salvage assessment if any existing building is being demolished or renovated
Identify which SMACNA measures apply to your project and build your IAQ Management Plan

During Construction:

Require a LEED cover sheet on all material submittals — it forces subs to think about EPDs, HPDs, and emissions compliance upfront
Track embodied carbon materials as they're installed, not after the fact
Track quantities for ALL products in BPSP categories, not just the compliant ones
Inspect ESC measures monthly at minimum; document with written narrative and photos
Do IAQ inspection reports monthly using the Green Badger app
Pull waste reports monthly and communicate diversion status to the team
Document Extreme Heat Protection measures and keep them current

At Closeout:

Compile your embodied carbon prerequisite documentation: BoM, GWP values, top 3 contributors, strategies considered
Verify your product category thresholds for BPSP
Pull your final waste diversion numbers and confirm source-separation percentages
Organize Low-Emitting documentation by category in one folder
Schedule pre-occupancy IAQ testing before the owner takes the keys (if pursuing EQc5)

And yes, if you're using Green Badger, a lot of this is automated, tracked in real time, and
doesn't require you to spend two months in the job trailer with no daylight and a 500-email
backlog. Just saying.

Summary: The LEED v5 Construction Credit Cheat Sheet

Credit

SSp Minimized Site Disturbance

MRp2 Quantify & Assess Embodied Carbon

EQp1 Construction Management (IAQ)

MRc2 Reduce Embodied Carbon

MRc1 Building & Materials Reuse

MRc4 Building Product Selection & Procurement

MRc3 Low-Emitting Materials

MRc5 C&D Waste Diversion

EQc5 IAQ Testing & Monitoring

Points Available

Prerequisite

Up to 6 pts

Up to 7 pts

Up to 5 pts

Up to 2 pts

Key Change from v4.1

Updated to 2022 CGP; requires photos + written narrative

Brand new — document GWP of structure/enclosure/hardscape; identify top 3 hot spots

Elevated from credit; adds Extreme Heat Protection for workers

Brand new — three options; wbLCA, EPD analysis, or structure/enclosure focus

New consolidated credit; requires salvage assessment before demolition

Category-based scoring; must track ALL
products in a category, not just compliant ones; adds plumbing fixtures

VOC content removed; Path structure changed; paints/flooring/ceilings required for any points

New source-separation requirements; 1 pt achievable, 2 pts tough; facility-side separation no longer counts

New standalone credit; pre-occupancy testing and/or continuous monitoring

Difficulty

Easy

Moderate

Easy

Moderate–Hard

Moderate

Easy–Moderate

Easy (1pt) / Hard (2pts)

Moderate

Final Thoughts

LEED v5 represents a real step forward for the industry. Embodied carbon has been the elephant in the room for years, and formalizing it as a prerequisite is the right call even if it adds complexity. Worker heat protection was long overdue. The consolidation of the BPDO credits into a category-based system is smarter even if the calculation takes some getting used to.

For general contractors, the message is this: you are now officially in the embodied carbon business. The materials you specify, the EPDs you collect, the quantities you track — all of that feeds into a living record of your project's carbon footprint. Build the systems now. The market isn't slowing down, Platinum is off the table without addressing decarbonization, and the project teams who figure this out first are going to have a serious competitive advantage.

We'll be updating this guide as more clarity emerges from USGBC, as reviewers start sharing what they're accepting, and as we see real projects navigate these new credits in the wild. Subscribe to the Green Badger newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn to stay current.

Now get out there and crush your LEED v5 documentation.

This guide was written by Tommy Linstroth, LEED Fellow and Founder/CEO of Green Badger. Green Badger is the leading LEED documentation automation platform, helping general contractors and project teams manage LEED compliance without the headache. Learn more at getgreenbadger.com.

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