The Equity Guide applies an equity lens to each credit within the LEED for Cities and Communities: Existing Cities v4.1 rating system, providing guiding context and questions to encourage local governments to ingrain equity more robustly into their sustainability planning. Nearly every aspect of the rating system has explicit and/or indirect equity considerations. Highlighting the different types of equity present in the rating system is intended to help local governments think about the unique equity concerns in their jurisdiction in combination with their fight against climate change.
Centering equity in sustainability sets the standard that every action and goal can and should consider equitable outcomes. This standard results in a just distribution of resources to protect all communities from climate-related hazards. Intentional and equitable policies and programs must address local realities, as well as larger structures and systems that perpetuate climate change risk and inequity. While equity takes many forms, this guide focuses on:
- Procedural Equity
- Distributional Equity
- Structural Equity
- Transgenerational Equity
- Transformational Equity