CHICAGO – Architects, designers, facility managers, and business leaders pursuing LEED certification may now be able to earn credit for specifying level® certified furniture products under the USGBC’s new LEED Pilot Credit 80: Environmentally Preferable Interior Finishes and Furnishings – a credit that specifically recognizes products that have been third-party certified to the ANSI/BIFMA e3 Furniture Sustainability Standard.

Scot Horst, Senior Vice President, LEED, USGBC, made the announcement at BIFMA’s 2013 Annual Meeting during the NeoCon World’s Trade Fair in Chicago, Illinois.

“BIFMA and the office furniture industry have been at the forefront of sustainability and transparency in product manufacturing and its willingness to engage with USGBC has created a uniquely collaborative process that is helping to encourage increasingly sustainable buildings,” said Horst.

Chuck Saylor, CEO & Founder, izzy+, and President, BIFMA Board of Directors, said, “The full inclusion of level products in this LEED Pilot Credit is a huge win for an industry that has worked tirelessly to meet market demand for increasingly sustainable furniture products.”

About Pilot Credit 80

The purpose of LEED Pilot Credit 80 is to increase the use of interior finishes and furnishings with validated multi-attribute environmental and social profiles. While the furniture sustainability standard is presently the only product standard named, the USGBC is seeking input on other third-party certified products to include.

According to Horst, “The LEED Pilot Credit Library allows us to expand the range of issues LEED addresses while staying true to our mission.”

The LEED Pilot is a rating system development tool designed to test new and revised LEED credit language, alternative compliance paths, and new or innovative green building technologies and concepts. The Pilot Credit offers a feedback loop for both testing and comments. USGBC collects, organizes and integrates feedback to evolve and refine pilot credits during their testing period, with a goal of adding successful credits to the USGBC member balloted LEED rating system.

How it Works

As part of Pilot Credit 80, all level certified furniture products may contribute to LEED certification credits based on a sliding percentage scale for level 1, 2, or 3 product conformance tiers. A project must include at least five different third-party certified products that account for at least 50% of the total interior finishes and furnishing materials by cost (Source: USGBC Pilot Credit 80). Pilot Credit 80 was posted in the LEED Pilot Credit Library on June 10.

About level®

level is the sustainability certification program for furniture. It is a multi-attribute evaluation of the environmental and social impacts of furniture products. Products are certified level 1, level 2, or level 3 (3 being the highest certification), by a third-party, independent certifying body that measures compliance with the ANSI/BIFMA e3 Furniture Sustainability Standard.

About BIFMA

BIFMA is the trade association for business and institutional furniture manufacturers. Since 1973, BIFMAʼs role has been to monitor the state of the industry, serve as a forum for member cooperation and collaboration, sponsor the development and refining of current and future standards, educate on their importance and application, and translate their necessary complexity into more easily understood and implemented formats.

About the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. USGBC works toward its mission of market transformation through its LEED green building certification program, robust educational offerings, a network of chapters and affiliates, the annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, and advocacy in support of public policy that encourages and enables green buildings and communities. For more information, visit usgbc.org, and connect on Weibo and LinkedIn.

About LEED

As the most widely recognized and widely used green building program across the globe, LEED is transforming buildings, homes and communities in all 50 states and 147 countries and territories. LEED guides the design, construction, operations and maintenance of more than 50,000 projects worldwide, comprising 9.8 billion square feet (836,127,360 sq meters) of commercial and institutional construction space, and more than 134,000 additional residential units. By using less energy, LEED-certified spaces save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce carbon emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community. Learn more at usgbc.org/leed.

Source: BIFMA