Environmental Platform LEEDership at USGBC

By 2018, it was clear that U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) had significantly contributed to the growth of green building and over its 25-year history had become a powerful brand in the construction sector with its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standard. Nonetheless, USGBC faced two significant challenges moving forward: maintaining LEED’s leadership position as the green building standard in the U.S. and increasing the proportion of building stock that met the LEED standard. The case provides background on the USGBC and the evolution of its LEED standard, including how the standards are set and green building benefits and costs.