Coming soon after the two organizations' public disagreement over building materials credits in LEED v4, a new partnership between the USGBC and the American Chemistry Council has been announced. The initiative is designed to achieve further efficiency and cross-industry dialogue by applying technical and evidence-based approaches to the LEED program.
The new team will be called the Supply Chain Optimization Working Group and will include representatives from both organizations. Initially, the group will work to further develop MRc4, the LEED v4 credit the ACC had taken issue with in the past, to make it more workable and understandable. In addition, the group may work to develop the next version of LEED and on various other initiatives related to building materials and sustainability.
By finally burying the hatchet, the two organizations hope to incorporate state-of-the-art safety, sustainability, and lifecycle-based approaches into the LEED certification process without sacrificing the program's strict efficiency standards.
"The looming impacts of climate change and the possibilities of improving human health and well-being favor collaboration and engagement as key strategies. The goal is forward progress," says Rick Fedrizzi, CEO of the USGBC.
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