In June, when the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) introduced Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Pilot Credit 43 — Certified Products — the agency began paving the way for organizations to document products’ environmental attributes through approved third-party certifiers. A big winner from the launch of this pilot credit is the Government Services Administration (GSA) and the way in which it supports the government’s requirement to document the environmental attributes of green products.

In 2009, when President Barack Obama signed Federal Executive Order 13514 (Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance), he set several new federal energy requirements in areas including, but not limited to: accountability and transparency, strategic sustainability performance planning, sustainable buildings and communities, fleet and transportation management, and pollution prevention and waste reduction. In short, the government began requiring that all new and renovated GSA buildings follow and meet LEED guidelines.

Until now, there has not been a specific LEED credit or document validating which third-party environmental attribute certifiers are USGBC-approved to meet the requirements set forth in the mandate. During the last few years, the GSA has primarily sought products with certifications from programs such as American National Standards Institute/Business and Institutional Furniture Manufactures Association (ANSI/BIFMA) level, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and Cradle to Cradle, to help meet LEED certification guidelines. Although third-party certifier programs were not recognized by the USGBC until LEED Pilot Credit 43, government designers and facility managers, on their own, identified which manufacturers’ products passed rigorous, holistic environmental review.

LEED Pilot Credit 43 validates the use of certified products that include transparent documentation about a product’s materials, ingredients, sustainable attributes and life cycle — all of which are needed to meet the mandate. The credit aims to help facilities increase the use of products that incorporate a holistic view to sustainability through materials, economic impact and corporate social responsibility. A list of approved certifications and labels is available on the USGBC website, in the LEED Pilot Credit Library, www.usgbc.org.

To apply for the credit, a minimum of 10 percent of the dollar value of installed, non-structural products and materials must meet the approved certifications or life-cycle analysis (LCA) criteria listed in LEED Pilot Credit 43. The credit can be obtained through two separate paths, 1) products can be certified to recognized third-party standards, such as ANSI/BIFMA level, and 2) manufacturers can offer product sustainability data in approved and public formats.

There is not a timeline for the evaluation of LEED Pilot Credit 43 or when it will move through the LEED member ballot process. Anyone interested in commenting on the elements of the credit can visit www.LEEDuser.com.