In 2019, USGBC announced its initiative to advance social equity, which has emphasized the importance of committing to values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. USGBC hosted two Equity Summits in 2020 that helped the community develop next steps to better reflect these values as an organization and as an industry.
As USGBC's Living Standard campaign makes clear, we cannot claim to be truly achieving sustainability in our cities and communities until everyone is included—until everyone has access to safe, healthy, environmentally friendly places.
Developing LEED pilot credits is one way that our community has already made progress. The Inclusive Design and Residential Inclusive Design pilot credits give project teams strategies to design better for people with disabilities, while three social equity pilot credits encourage teams to ensure equity throughout the process, such as by involving community stakeholders at the planning stage.