The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) announced an expansion of their strategic partnership to accelerate the adoption of buildings that prioritize people, communities and the natural environment.
Beginning in early 2023, the partnership will focus on streamlining the process for achieving dual WELL and LEED certifications through a two-way crosswalk and a coordinated third-party review overseen by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), the premier organization for independently recognizing excellence in green building performance and practice globally.
“By forging this stronger alliance with USGBC, we’re not only taking substantial steps to better support the uptake of WELL and LEED together, we’re also sending a powerful market signal that sustainability and health must go hand-in-hand,” said Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO, IWBI. “IWBI and USGBC share a deep, collaborative ethos. This is a pivotal moment to double down on this partnership and seize opportunities to unlock new ideas and efficiencies, ignite more innovation and inspire our global community.”
In addition, through the partnership, USGBC and IWBI will extend and expand their shared efforts across several other priorities, including social equity, sustainable finance and advocacy.
“This is the next chapter in our partnership with IWBI, which has brought global attention and leadership to improving health and well-being in buildings and organizations around the world,” said Peter Templeton, President and CEO, USGBC and GBCI. “Not only are we doing more to bridge LEED and WELL in the market, we’re also coordinating across shared organizational objectives, such as elevating equity in the built environment, opening up new sources of capital for green and healthy buildings and bringing a unified voice to our shared priorities.”
The partnership will also explore future opportunities to accelerate the adoption of LEED and WELL, as well as the development of new tools and resources to support a growing green workforce.