The U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED®) green building certification has transformed how the building industry
and the public consider sustainability in the built environment. The most recent update to LEED, known as LEED v4, is the new standard for high-performance
green buildings worldwide.  This brief provides an overview of USGBC’s goals for supporting green codes and introduces the California-LEED alignment now available for California projects. Adopted after countless hours of volunteer time, consideration of public review comments, and a rigorous consensus process, LEED v4 sets a new standard for sustainability in buildings.