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ENERGY AND ATMOSPHERE (EA)
OVERVIEW
As of 2025, buildings are responsible for one-third of global energy emissions, accounting for approximately 37 percent of energy and process-related carbon emissions and over 34% of energy demand. [29] To stabilize the climate, the world must decarbonize its buildings — both new and existing — by mid-century. Many regions and organizations have identified zero energy and zero carbon goals, targeting 2030 for new construction and by 2050 for existing buildings. [30] Thankfully, there are now time-tested and cost-effective strategies to achieve this imperative and we now know how to design and construct the low-carbon buildings of the future. To stabilize the climate, the world must decarbonize its buildings — both new and existing — by mid-century. Many regions and organizations have identified zero energy and zero carbon goals, targeting 2030 for new construction and 2050 for existing buildings. Thankfully, there are now time-tested and cost-effective strategies to achieve this imperative, and we now know how to design and construct the low-carbon buildings of the future.
Well-designed, well-constructed, and well-operated buildings use less energy, produce fewer emissions, and increase the resilience of a building to withstand disruptions like power outages or extreme weather events. LEED v5’s EA credit category aims to make low-carbon buildings easy to achieve by increasing carbon literacy and providing a clear framework for all buildings to significantly reduce or eliminate emissions, achieve greater energy independence and security, and lower operational energy costs.
As businesses and regulatory agencies now regularly prioritize resilience and sustainability as cornerstones of their financial and social continuity planning, decarbonization is a means to meet these goals and is an increasingly central priority for leaders worldwide.
Decarbonization LEED v5 drives decarbonization, and over half of the LEED v5 credits that support decarbonization are found in the EA category. By capitalizing on advances in technology and industry expertise, project teams can use EA prerequisites and credits to create more value for owners, occupants, and communities.
First, LEED v5 helps increase the carbon literacy of design teams. In EAp1: Estimated Energy Use and Operational Carbon Projection, project teams develop a visual prediction of future
29 “2022 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction”, UNEP - UN Environment Programme, accessed March 31, 2025, https://www.unep.org/resources/publication/2022-global-status-report-buildings-and-construction. 30 “Support the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment | U.S. Green Building Council”, USGBC, accessed March 31, 2025, https://www.usgbc.org/articles/support-net-zero-carbon-buildings-commitment.
U.S. Green Building Council LEED v5 Reference Guide for Interior Design and Construction, April 2025 Launch Edition 95