Although there are many green building rating systems in the United States, the two national systems most commonly used for commercial structures are LEED® and Green Globes™.
Comparing the two, one finds many similarities. Ideas as to what constitutes green building tend to be widely accepted, so it stands to reason that both systems emphasize things like energy, water and resource efficiency, site ecology, indoor air quality and pollution. Both are points-based systems that can be used to achieve a verified rating of performance, and include four roughly equal rating levels.
However, the systems also have significant differences. Targeted to the top 25% of the market, LEED involves a more complex and time consuming process, but is well-established and enjoys strong brand recognition. Designed for widespread appeal, Green Globes is web-based, affordable and easy to use—even for those with limited environmental design experience—and is gaining ground thanks in part to growing mainstream interest.
The two also differ in the way they treat wood. Most significant is the fact that LEED only recognizes timber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), while Green Globes is more inclusive, recognizing timber certified through FSC as well as the American Tree Farm System (ATFS), Canadian Standards Association (CSA) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). Aside from the fact that independent research has shown that all of these systems are effective, there is also the issue of supply. There are more than 390 million acres of certified forest in North America, but less than 1/6 of that amount is certified by FSC.
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Rating Systems
LEED vs. Green Globes
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