CaGBC Streamlines LEED Canada Certification
December 14, 2011
The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) is announcing changes to the LEED Canada certification process that aims to streamline certification to less than six months. The goal in implementing these alterations is to better serve project owners and deliver certification in a timely manner.
LEED has been a highly transformative force in the Canadian building industry, driving dramatic changes in construction practices, operations and design. To better meet the large market demand for LEED certification in Canada, the CaGBC has increased internal staff to better address the majority of backlogged projects and delayed Credit Interrpetation Requests (CIRs). The CaGBC also hired four new review teams of highly skilled consultants, bringing the total to six teams who are now working to certify projects.
The CaGBC established a taskforce back in June 2011, to further expedite the certification process. The taskforce put forth recommendations for significant changes to the CaGBC’s certification process. The recommendations will be implemented over the coming year and will streamline the certification process to an average of less than six months. The changes include:
- Cutting the three stage certification pathway to two stages for LEED Canada NC 1.0 and LEED Canada CS 1.0 projects
- Investing in technology infrastructure to improve the administration of certification
- Introducing a design review process
Thomas Mueller, President and CEO of CaGBC says, “We listened to the industry and have taken action. We’ve created an implementation plan that should shorten the certification process to an average of less than six month. The demand for LEED is a positive sign of where the green building industry is going in Canada. It’s the CaGBC’s responsibility to support and better serve the market.”
Delays in certification can also be attributed to the failure of applicant teams to respond to certification reviews in a timely manner. To streamline LEED certification, the CaGBC will be introducing measures to help encourage quicker response times.
“Everyone needs to play their part to make this work,” notes Mueller. “Even with the new two-stage process, timely review of materials is critical to achieving the goal of under six months. We strive to provide the best service possible to help applicant teams understand the certification process, and also provide training workshops to further build out their expertise.”
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