Reinventing Green Building: Why Certification Systems Aren't Working and What We Can Do About It

The book's subtitle suggests that the contents within are broad, but the scope of this study is limited to the author's knowledge of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the major U.S. green building rating system. Yudelson, who has authored several books on green building, including Green Building A to Z, questions why LEED, with which he has been associated since 2001, no longer maintains a strong position in the green building market and why, after 15 years in existence, LEED has certified less than 1% of commercial buildings and homes in the U.S. He calls for a new certification model that is smart, simple for lay people to understand, and sustainable. Concerns for urban design and healthy buildings need not be abandoned, but he argues that climate change and looming water scarcities mean that priority must be given to five key performance indicators: energy use, total carbon emissions, water use, waste minimization, and ecological purchasing. Although textbook-like, the book is not overburdened with technical terms and writing, but its focus on LEED will likely limit its appeal to those within the building industry; environmentalists curious about green building are unlikely to get much out of it. (June)