Expected to be out for ballot in mid-2013, LEED v4 will be the most revamped edition to date. With a massive quantity of revisions and new credits, more than 35 of which have been out for public comment over the past few months, it is important to understand that criteria for certified buildings will soon be very different. In particular, draft criteria for MR Credit 2, building product disclosure and optimization – environmental product declarations, provide a forecast of how demands for green building products might evolve over the next few years.

As drafted, the intent of MR Credit 2 is to “encourage the use of products and materials for which life-cycle information is available and that have environmentally, economically, and socially preferable life-cycle impacts.” Currently, there are two different conformance pathways for this new credit: 1) Use at least 20 permanently installed products that have environmental product declarations (EPD’s), and/or 2) Use products which meet LEED’s new multi-attribute optimization criteria for 50%, by cost, of all building materials.

Option 1 is straightforward and easy to comprehend; at least 20 products must have an EPD. Granted, there are several ways to meet this 20-product threshold with more weight being given to ISO 14025 EPD’s than basic ISO 14044 life cycle assessments (LCA’s). But nonetheless, the drafted criteria for EPD’s generally appear as expected and are well within pre-existent standardized framework for EPD reporting.

Option 2, however, is less straightforward and will likely require more revision before its criteria are solidified. This option, known as multi-attribute optimization, requires that products are either certified through a USGBC-approved program to have LCA impact reductions below industry averages or come from manufacturers with extended producer responsibility (EPR) programs in place. There are a few ambiguities that still need to be defined before this conformance pathway is finalized. For example, which programs are approved by USGBC? Who is the keeper of information on industry averages? What types of EPR programs qualify? In fact, this conformance option as a whole is not typical of traditional multi-attribute sustainability certification as defined by ISO 14024.

As the LEED v4 comment and ballot periods continue, keep an eye on the evolution of Option 2. Remember, the intent of MR Credit 2 includes the encouragement of socially and economically preferable products. Yet, nowhere in the drafted criteria are these issues addressed. As USGBC continues to pilot and develop criteria for true ISO 14024 multi-attribute sustainability certification programs (such as Green Squared®), it will be interesting to see if Option 2 continues to be called multi-attribute optimization, or if a new Option 3 or MR Credit is drafted altogether. Either way, the evolution of this credit is indicative that general demands for green products are trending towards EPD’s and certified multi-attribute sustainability.