The USGBC is introducing a new LEED pilot Alternative Compliance Path (ACP) credit designed to help promote the use of legally verified wood, while eradicating illegal wood and advancing sustainable forest management.

The new pilot ACP, applicable to both LEED 2009 and LEED v4 systems, builds upon responsible wood sourcing to test an approach to prerequisite requirements, which could serve as a model for other building materials.

“As we have begun looking at approaches to incentivize responsible sourcing of all materials that go into our buildings – such as concrete, steel, copper and other materials – we recognize the need to address both the top – rewarding the best — as well as the bottom by eliminating unacceptable practices,” said Rick Fedrizzi, chief executive officer and founding chair of USGBC.

LEED v4 will take steps to reward progress related to all raw material sourcing issues.

“Today, it is possible to achieve the LEED wood credit and still have illegal wood in a LEED certified project,” said Scot Horst, chief product officer at the USGBC. “This is because LEED projects receive credit for a percentage of the wood on the project, rather than on all wood used.”