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Extracted Content

ENERGY AND ATMOSPHERE (EA)

OVERVIEW

As of 2025, buildings are responsible for one-third of global energy emissions, with approximately 26% stemming from operational emissions and 7% from embodied emissions related to construction materials and processes. [47] There is immense opportunity for decarbonization in the building industry. Much of that onus lies with existing buildings, which account for 80% of the building stock that will exist in 2050. [48] But unlike new buildings, which can be designed from the start as the low-carbon buildings of the future, some existing buildings were not built with carbon in mind. They can have leaky, poorly insulated envelopes, fuel-fired space heating, and service hot water systems, issues that lead to high carbon emissions over the long term that can be complex and expensive to fix.

Many regions and organizations have identified zero energy and zero carbon goals, seeking to achieve them by 2050 for existing buildings. [49] Businesses and regulatory agencies now frequently prioritize sustainability and resilience as cornerstones of their financial and social continuity planning. Decarbonization is an increasingly central priority for leaders worldwide. [50] Well-operated buildings use less energy, produce fewer emissions, and increase building resilience to withstand disruptions like power outages or extreme weather events.

LEED v5’s Energy and Atmosphere (EA) credit category provides paths to support existing buildings in significantly reducing or eliminating emissions, achieving greater energy independence and security, and streamlining operational energy costs.

Decarbonization LEED v5 focuses on decarbonization, and nearly half of the LEED v5 credits that support decarbonization are found in the EA category. The EA category has been designed to help existing buildings make progress toward lower operational carbon emissions through three core strategies: increasing the carbon literacy of all project teams, rewarding projects that are already achieving benchmarks for low carbon emissions and energy use, and encouraging projects to make carefully considered plans to significantly reduce their emissions over time.

47 IEA, “Buildings – Breakthrough Agenda Report 2023 – Analysis – IEA,” n.d., www.iea.org/reports/breakthrough-agenda-report2023/buildings. 48 Assuming a 1% growth rate. 49 World Green Building Council, “Every Building on the Planet Must Be ‘Net Zero Carbon’ by 2050 to Keep Global Warming Below 2°C - New Report - World Green Building Council,” March 15, 2022, worldgbc.org/article/every-building-on-the-planet-must-be-netzero-carbon-by-2050-to-keep-global-warming-below-2c-new-report/. 50 World Economic Forum, “Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders – Home,” n.d., initiatives.weforum.org/alliance-of-ceo-climateleaders/home.

U.S. Green Building Council LEED v5 Reference Guide for Operations and Maintenance, April 2025 Launch Edition 100