The Philippine Green Building Code (PGBC) Sustainability Ref

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The GB Code seeks to improve the efficiency of building performance through a framework of acceptable set of standards that will enhance sound environmental and resource management that will counter the harmful gases responsible for the adverse effects of climate change, throughout the building’s life-cycle including efficient use of resources, site selection, planning, design, construction, use, occupancy, operation and maintenance, without significant increase in cost. This GB Code is a set of regulations setting minimum standards for compliance and not intended to rate buildings. 

1. The technical professionals, developers, contractors, property managers and building owners involved in the planning, design, construction and management of buildings have the opportunity and responsibility to help government address the adverse effects of climate change by ensuring that buildings are planned, designed, constructed, operated and maintained to the required efficiency level. 
2. Resources must be used efficiently to equitably meet the developmental and environmental needs of the present and future generations. THE PHILIPPINE GREEN BUILDING CODE 
3. Occupants of green buildings will benefit from improved indoor environmental quality, which promotes higher productivity and better comfort.

Green building is the practice of creating structures that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life cycle. A building's life cycle includes siting, design construction, operation, maintenance, renovation and deconstruction. In addition to environmental benefits, green buildings provide economic and public health benefits for building owners and users. 

Buildings have an enormous impact on the environment, human health and the economy.  Applying green building practices can help reduce a building’s overall impact on the natural environment by more efficiently using energy, water and other resources. Green building can also help reduce waste and minimize pollution and environmental degradation. Buildings constructed using green building practices may help protect occupant health and improve employee productivity through, for example, improved indoor air quality and increased use of natural lighting.

Some green building practices, such as using local and renewable materials or passive solar design, have been used by humans for millennia. More recently, green buildings have become mainstream in the building sector as an approach to conserve resources with energy efficient and environmentally friendly building practices.

The Philippine Green Building Code, a referral code to the National Building Code of the Philippines, rallies to lessen the impacts of buildings to health and environment through resource management efficiency. 

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the world's most widely used green building rating system. LEED certification provides a framework for healthy, highly efficient, and cost-saving green buildings, which offer environmental, social and governance benefits. LEED certification is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement, and it is backed by an entire industry of committed organizations and individuals paving the way for market transformation.

 - 197,000 LEED projects worldwide - 186 countries and territories - >29 billion+ SF

LEED v5 is the newest version of LEED. It marks a transformative milestone in the built environment’s alignment with a low-carbon future and addresses critical imperatives such as equity, health, ecosystems and resilience.

LEED v5 for Operations and Maintenance (O+M) was the first draft released during Greenbuild in 2023. Around 50 existing building project teams are participating in a beta test. Their valuable feedback will help refine the rating system, with plans for a full market release in 2025, including: 

Building Design and Construction (BD+C), Interior Design and Construction (ID+C) and Operations and Maintenance (O+M). 

The highly anticipated new LEED rating system arrives over a decade after the launch of LEED v4. A lot has changed since 2013, and the rating system has evolved to address the critical needs of the market in light of the increasing environmental impacts caused by the climate crisis. 

 The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has been hard at work developing the latest LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system, LEED v5. 

There are six principles guiding a holistic approach to sustainability and the future of LEED. 

These include the ability to scale transformative change, decarbonization, resilience, human health and wellbeing, equity, and ecosystems. These principals work alongside three main overarching system goals reflected in the scorecard that make up 100% of the points. Climate Action accounts for 50% of points, Quality of Life accounts for 25% and Ecological Conservation and Restoration make up the remaining 25%. Credits within each credit category will simultaneously address both system goals and guiding principles. 

Decarbonization is a core objective for LEED v5. One of the main goals of the new rating system is to increase carbon literacy in the market and encourage strategies to reduce emissions. Attention is paid to both embodied and operational carbon in addition to emissions related to transportation.   

Occupant health and wellness and consideration for indoor air quality, advanced filtration and outdoor air monitoring remains a focal point of design. Other components of indoor environmental quality include mental, physical, and behavioral wellbeing alongside equity and accessibility. 

Ecosystem preservation and biodiversity support healthy, sustainable environments for all forms of life. Regenerative development practices, resource conservation and an increased concentration on circularity are included in the new rating system. 

Resilient and adaptive buildings are becoming more and more imperative as natural hazards and climate disruptions impact communities. Implementing climate-related risk assessments and preparedness measures empowers project teams and building owners to proactively mitigate damages stemming from inclement weather and climate change. 

Equity is addressed by focusing on education and awareness, understanding individual needs, and supporting and protecting workers. Additionally, fostering community engagement through service and advocacy contributes to the creation of more equitable environments within the surrounding areas where buildings are situated. 

Public Comment Opens  - Since 1998, the LEED rating system has served as a dynamic catalyst for driving sustainable market transformation within the built environment. It is a rating system designed by and for those who both design and/or occupy buildings. Public comment is vital for the LEED rating system as it provides an opportunity for diverse stakeholders to offer valuable feedback and insight.