Purpose
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is the internationally recognized green building certification system developed by the United States Green Building Council. It provides 3rd-party verification that a building was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most:

• Energy savings
• Water efficiency
• CO2 emissions reduction
• Improved indoor environmental quality
• Stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts

LEED provides building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations, and maintenance solutions.

LEED by Example
In June of 2005, Whatcom County Council unanimously approved a resolution calling for all future county building projects to be built to LEED Silver standard. LEED is a national program for the rating and certification of green buildings. This meant that for all projects begun after that date, the concepts of sustainable design, energy and water conservation, indoor environmental quality, and waste reduction would be incorporated from the earliest planning stages of all county buildings.