Looming large on the minds of most Canadians, climate change is arguably the greatest environmental challenge we face today. Given that a significant reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is necessary to avert irreversible impacts, any solutions will require the active support of all sectors of society – government, business and citizens – to reach reduction targets.

GHG emissions from buildings represent as much as a third of Canada’s total, so the building industry has a big role to play in curbing climate change. The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC), an industry organization accelerating the design and construction of green buildings, is out front on this issue with an ambitious vision to achieve a total reduction in GHGs of 50 Mt from buildings by 2015—a third of Canada’s 2020 goal.

To fulfill this vision, the CaGBC has recently launched a multi-year initiative to further evolve the LEED® Canada rating system to capture more building types and deliver even more value to building owners and operators. Supporters and advocates of LEED, Canadian governments of every level, school boards and owners and managers of commercial properties are all stepping up to help develop this next generation of the system.

Expected to start rolling out in 2009, the next generation of the LEED rating system will offer many enhancements and new features, all of which are being tested in pilot projects. With the view that industry input is vital to the creation of the best LEED tool possible, the coast-to-coast collaborative effort will involve up to 150 public buildings, 20 commercial properties and 100 school boards.

Once the first round of input from owners and operators is complete in the spring of 2008, more will take place with other building types. One of the primary goals of this development initiative is to test the next generation rating tool with building sectors that are not covered under the current rating system, such as existing buildings. The key elements of the new rating system and findings from the first round of testing will be delivered at the CaGBC’s first national summit in Toronto, June 11-12, 2008: “Shifting into the Mainstream.”

Although taking part in the development process does not lead to certification, participants will benefit from learning first hand how the enhanced LEED Canada rating system will work. And their feedback around such things as the function and usability of the delivery model, and education and training requirements will be invaluable. Some of the industry-driven changes to the rating system to be tested during the first phase of development are web-based delivery, scalability across entire building portfolios, and evaluation of buildings throughout their lifecycle--from design to disassembly.

Overall, the new rating system features will provide a more efficient and faster process for certification; streamlined certification for owners and managers with multiple properties; and the ability to measure actual performance benefits (i.e., GHG reduction and water conservation) and inform decision on improvements required to achieve continuous efficiency and savings over the entire life of the building. This will transform the rating system from a one-time intervention to a tool that delivers on-going value to owners and operators.

While the development and testing of the next generation of LEED Canada is underway, certification under the current rating system continues. Buildings now going through certification will not need to be re-certified and will be “grandfathered” in when the enhanced rating system becomes available for that building sector. This means buildings certified under the old system are welcome to move over to the next version of LEED Canada and benefit from its new features.

Since the next generation of LEED Canada will include the certification of a wider range of building sectors, the new rating system will be introduced for each building sector over the next three years, starting in 2009 with those sectors engaged in the first set of pilots.

Once the new LEED rating system is fully launched, the CaGBC, together with the design and build professionals, property owners and managers, and manufacturers and suppliers who support and use LEED, will be doing their part in not only tackling climate change, but also creating a more sustainable, healthier and greener Canada.

A number of working groups and committees are forming to develop the next generation of the LEED Canada rating system. For more information on how to get involved, go to www.cagbc.org.

This article also appears in the November/December issue of ReNew Canada.