Carbon-Neutral Products Approved for LEED Innovation Point

In a July 16, 2007 ruling for the LEED for Commercial Interiors Rating System, the U.S. Green Building Council endorsed the use of carbon-neutral products to achieve an innovation point. Both the original query, which was submitted in June of 2006, and the eventual ruling contain extensive qualifications and restrictions on this path to an innovation point. The query clarifies that emissions from all phases of a product’s life cycle—not just emissions from the manufacturing plant—must be offset and that the carbon-neutral status must be certified by an independent third party. USGBC’s ruling includes a list of acceptable programs and protocols for accounting for carbon offsets and notes that, because the carbon-trading industry is evolving so rapidly, the requirements are subject to change.