Responsible material selection and procurement is keystone to lowering the environmental impact of the built environment and improving occupant health over the entire life cycle of the building.

In recognizing this, most green building certifying bodies are continuously evaluating how to rate and measure materials, and how to reward projects for prioritizing the use of those that are multi-attribute––in other words, materials that address carbon, ecosystem and human health, equity and circularity.

In fact, under LEED v5, the USGBC just rolled out its Building Product Selection and Procurement credit, which provides a framework for material selection––and it was the topic du jour at this year’s Green Build conference.

Naturally, it was met with equal parts excitement and questions. Luckily, Wes Sullens, director of materials and resources at USGBC, was there to unpack the details.