LEED History

Development of LEED began in 1993, spearheaded by Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
senior scientist Robert K. Watson. As founding chairman of the LEED Steering Committee, Watson led a
broad-based consensus process until 2007, bringing together non-profit organizations, government
agencies, architects, engineers, developers, builders, product manufacturers and other industry leaders.
The LEED initiative was supported by a strong USGBC Board of Directors, chaired by Steven Winter
from 1999 to 2003, and very active staff, including Nigel Howard. At that time, USGBC’s Senior Vice
President of LEED, Scot Horst, became chair of the LEED Steering Committee before joining USGBC
staff. Early LEED committee members also included USGBC co-founder Mike Italiano, architects Bill
Reed and Sandy Mendler, builders Gerard Heiber and Myron Kibbe, and engineer Richard Bourne. As
interest in LEED grew, in 1996, engineers Tom Paladino and Lynn Barker co-chaired the newly formed
LEED technical committee.
From 1994 to 2015, LEED grew from one standard for new construction to a comprehensive system of
interrelated standards covering aspects from the design and construction to the maintenance and operation
of buildings. LEED also has grown from six volunteers on one committee to 119,924 staff, volunteers and
professionals. [ LEED standards have been applied to approximately 83,452 registered and certified
LEED projects worldwide, covering around 13.8 billion square feet (1.28 billion square meters).
Many U.S. federal agencies and states and local governments require or reward LEED certification.
However, four states (Alabama, Georgia, Maine, and Mississippi) have effectively banned the use of
LEED in new public buildings, preferring other industry standards that the USGBC considers too lax.
Unlike model building codes, such as the International Building Code, only members of the USGBC and
specific "in-house" committees may add to, subtract from, or edit the standard, subject to an internal
review process. Proposals to modify the LEED standards are offered and publicly reviewed by USGBC's
member organizations, which number almost 12,216.
USGBC's Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) offers various accreditation to people who
demonstrate knowledge of the LEED rating system, including LEED Accredited Professional (LEED
AP), LEED Green Associate, and since 2011, LEED Fellows, the highest designation for LEED
professionals. GBCI also certifies projects pursuing LEED.