The Building Product Selection and Procurement credit is one of the most important LEED v5 credits for building product manufacturers. The credit is also critical for design professionals to understand since it significantly affects product specification. Some sustainability experts call it “The LEED Credit That Changes Everything.” This credit is one of the few in LEED v5 that focuses on all three impacts which are decarbonization, quality of life, and ecological conservation and restoration. It also replaces several LEED v4 credits and integrates them into a single credit. It is important that manufacturers understand this credit because it offers many points and specification opportunities.
What Is The Building Product Selection and Procurement Credit?
The credit introduces a new framework for evaluating products in LEED. The new framework is multi-attribute and follows a structure put in place by the AIA in the Materials Pledge and the mindful MATERIALS Common Materials Framework, among others. In this new system, products are evaluated for their ability to address a list of criteria including human health, climate health, ecosystem health, social health & equity, and the circular economy.
The intent of the Building Product Selection and Procurement credit is: “To encourage the use of products and materials that have sustainability information available and that have environmentally, economically, and socially preferable impacts in alignment with industry momentum. To reward project teams for selecting products from manufacturers who have disclosed sustainability information about their products and optimized their products across multiple criteria areas.”
While the framework and structure of this product-related credit is new in LEED v5, the specific attributes for building products that are rewarded in the credit are largely familiar to previous users of LEED. The new Building Product Selection & Procurement credit follows the product attributes that were started with LEED v4 and continued in LEED v4.1. Specifically, this new framework combines aspects from several credits from LEED v4 and v4.1:
- MR credit: Environmental Product Declarations
- MR credit: Material Ingredients
- MR credit: Sourcing of Raw Materials
- MR pilot credit: Circular Products
- MR pilot credit: Social Equity Within the Supply Chain
The criteria from the above credits have been refined in some instances yet remain quite consistent from previous versions of LEED. The intent for this credit is to maintain similar criteria for products that are already accepted in LEED v4.1 with some updates and increased thresholds of stringency where needed and to encourage greater multi-attribute evaluation of products in LEED v5.
LEED Credit Criteria Areas
LEED Project teams must select nonstructural building products that demonstrate achievement in one or more of five criteria areas:
- Climate health
- Human health
- Ecosystem health
- Social health and equity
- Circular economy
Products that achieve two or more criteria areas are considered multi-attribute. Products that achieve higher levels of use and/or that are across additional criteria areas will be given a higher value in credit calculations. Achievement is demonstrated through eligible compliant manufacturer product documentation, which includes third-party product certifications, ecolabels, declarations, and standards.
A single product document can demonstrate multiple benefits and/or achievement levels, or the product can earn multi-attribute criteria through a combination of separate eligible product documents. There are three achievement levels for products that building product manufacturers and design professionals need to be aware of.
Level 1: A product in this level achieves a first step toward sustainability for a criteria area. Widespread achievement of these practices drive market transformation toward sustainability outcomes within the criteria area. Products scored at this level earn a 1x multiplier.
Level 2: This level represents a leadership position in the marketplace for a given sustainability attribute. Products at this level are optimized and demonstrate a level of sustainability that peers aspire to achieve. Products scored at this level earn a 2x multiplier.
Level 3: Products that earn this level are elite and represent the forefront of sustainability. Products scored at this level earn a 3x multiplier.
Individual products selected for compliance with the Building Product Selection & Procurement credit may have more than one eligible attribute (determined by product documentation) that can be scored in this credit. Multiple scores can be added together for a combined multi-attribute score for that product, but only the highest value in each criteria area (climate health, human health, etc.) will be awarded. Double counting is not allowed within a specific criteria area. For example, if a product scores a “3” in Climate
Health for one product documentation and a “1” in Climate Health for another product documentation, only the “3” will count toward the total. However, if a product scores a “2” in Climate Health and a “1” in Ecosystem Health, those scores can be added together for a total score of 3. No product can earn a multiplier greater than 5x.
What Are The Eligible Products?
This credit rewards the selection of eligible interior and enclosure materials from the following product categories:
- Paints and coatings
- Adhesives and sealants
- Flooring
- Walls
- Ceilings
- Insulation
- Furniture
- Composite wood
- Plumbing fixtures
USGBC Compliant Documentation
Each of the five Criteria Areas is supported by USGBC-approved product documentation. We’ll review the Human Health Criteria to determine what product manufacturers and design professionals need to be aware of. The Human Health criteria area refers to strategies for selecting products that are verified to minimize the use and generation of harmful substances. Eligible building products in this category are rewarded starting with the disclosure of product ingredients following accepted methodologies. Leading products are screened to minimize negative human health impacts, and elite products avoid a wider range of harmful substances.
A Level 1 product has disclosed ingredients to the public or a trusted third-party to at least 1,000 ppm and those ingredients have been screened against approved standards and/or authoritative hazard lists. Products in this criteria area are assessed for the ingredients present in the end use product as delivered to the project site. Qualifying documentation must be from qualified product documentation standards and formats, like the Health Products Declaration Collaborative Open Standard and other recognized disclosure frameworks. Products meeting this Level are valued at 1X for credit achievement calculation purposes. Level 1 qualifying product documentation may include a Health Product Declaration (HPD), Declare Label, Global Green Tag, or Cradle to Cradle.
A Level 2 product builds on the criteria from Level 1. Products at this level are assessed to a greater level (100ppm), must have third party verification, and avoid specific hazardous ingredients. Products meeting this Level are valued at 2X for credit achievement calculation purposes. Level 2 qualifying documentation includes more stringent requirements and may include Health product Declarations (HPDs), Declare Labels, Green Seal, and Cradle to Cradle. An eligible product includes third-party verification that includes the verification of content inventory.
Currently, there are no Level 3 compliant product documentation for the Human Health Criteria. The USGBC will update the eligible product documentation list periodically to include new documentation. There is a lack of documentation in the Social Health and Equity Criteria Area. There is only Level 1 qualifying documentation with Level 2 and Level 3 under development.
Call To Action
In today’s competitive construction industry, transparency and sustainability are key to getting your products specified. Elixir Environmental specializes in helping building product manufacturers like you stand out by developing essential documentation and educational resources. Meet LEED requirements by working with Elixir Environmental to develop Health Product Declarations, Declare Labels, LEED Documentation, and LEED courses for your building product reps. If you’re not ready for LEED, you’re not ready for specifiers. Contact our team today!