Strategies that focus on both Sustainability and occupant health and wellness are natural allies. So it makes sense that since the U.S. Green Building Council, the International WELL Building Institute, and their certification arm, the Green Business Certification Institute, announced a streamlined approach to joint certification, hundreds of project teams have stepped up to take advantage.
Since April, when the organizations announced a streamlined certification pathway for WELL and LEED, more than 300 projects comprising more than 80 million square feet of space have registered for dual certification.
The streamlined pathway allows projects seeking both certifications to avoid duplicate documentation. It also allows for an easier certification process for projects that have already achieved certification with one system, and hope to achieve certification with the other.
“It’s exciting to see how quickly the market has embraced the LEED and WELL pathway,” said Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO, IWBI, in a release. “It shows just how much global demand there is to demonstrate leadership on both human health and planetary health."
Peter Templeton, president and CEO of USGBC and GBCI concurs: “The collaboration between USGBC and IWBI is imperative to confront today’s challenges and shape a future that will benefit generations to come.”
Greg Zimmerman is senior contributing editor for FacilitiesNet.com and Building Operating Management magazine.
