LEED v4.1: Understanding the Changes and Implications for Wood Use
Dovetail Partners
In 2013, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) launched Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design v4 (LEED v4) and Dovetail Partners provided a report that evaluated the changes and implications for use of wood as a building material and within green building projects. Some of the most substantial changes in LEED v4 were made to the Materials and Resources credit category with direct impact to the use of wood. To provide the most current information for green building projects, this new report examines the changes associated with the adoption of LEED v4.1. The transition to LEED v4.1 was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the deadline for project registrations under older standards was continued through June 30, 2022. Since that deadline has passed, new project registrations and certifications are now under LEED v4 or v4.1, and as of April 21, 2023, LEED v4 project registrations must use the most recent addenda versions of LEED v4.1 credits. As of August 2023, there are 13,693 LEED v4.1 projects globally, including 9,844 LEED v4.1 projects in the United States and 653 in Canada. The full impact of LEED v4.1 will emerge as the standard is more widely used; meanwhile, LEED v5 is in development with a draft anticipated in 2023.