What is the difference between the Green Guide for Health Care™ and the upcoming LEED® for Healthcare tool?
There is a history of collaboration between the Green Guide and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., that develops and administers the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) rating system. LEED® and the Green Guide may be distinguished from each other through their mode of administration. LEED® is a third-party certification rating tool, while the Green Guide is a voluntary, self-certifying tool. In its development, the Green Guide drew from LEED® as a foundational document, with permission from the USGBC, along with other reference documents. Some credits in the Green Guide are identical to LEED for New Construction and LEED for Existing Buildings; some credits have been modified to better suit the unique requirements of health care facilities; and, some credits are new. The differences and similarities between the specific credits in the Green Guide and LEED are outlined in a series of tables at the end of the Gr
