We’ve offered builders and developers benefits like extra floor area and height, in exchange for meeting green building standards for 16 years. These incentives have helped create thousands of certified green buildings in Seattle, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.
We recently published draft Director’s Rule 2-2025 that supersedes Director’s Rule 4-2021 related to the Green Building Standard. We’re collecting comments on the new rule through April 27, 2025. Comments can be sent to SCI_DRulesComments@seattle.gov.
The new rule includes these key changes:
- Updates the approved certification program levels and versions
- Refines the site development requirements to focus on embodied carbon reduction
- Simplifies application forms and processes
We recognize the same Green Building certification programs but have updated the Director’s Rule to reflect the latest program versions for Built Green, Phius, and the Living Building Challenge. For Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the approved certification level is Platinum under version 4.0 or 4.1, instead of Gold, for construction permits subject to the 2021 Seattle Energy Code. For projects subject to the 2018 Seattle Energy Code, the minimum certification level remains Gold.
LEED plays a key role in driving national energy efficiency, but because Seattle’s energy code is so strong LEED certification does not compare well with other certification programs with respect to energy efficiency. For example, LEED Gold projects often gain the maximum energy points simply by designing to code. Comparatively, Built Green relies on Washington state code so that 4-Star projects more closely match LEED Platinum. In view of that, no additional energy efficiency requirements beyond code are proposed in the rule. Phius and LBC certifications are likely to result in efficiency levels that are better than code. Aside from energy efficiency, third party certifications remain important benchmarks for site design, material resourcing and embodied carbon, indoor air quality, social equity, and water efficiency.
LEED will be opening registration for version 5 later this year with a renewed focus on decarbonization, quality of life, ecological conservation, and restoration—this could result in revisions to the rule for LEED in the future. However, LEED version 4.0 and version 4.1 registrations will likely be available for many years during the implementation of v5.
Reducing carbon emissions from building materials is an urgent priority. As energy efficiency in buildings improves, the embodied carbon in a building’s materials represents a growing portion of the project’s overall environmental impact. According to Architecture 2030, embodied carbon will be responsible for the majority of carbon emissions associated with new buildings and infrastructure globally between now and 2030.
Built Green has responded by incorporating Carbon Reduction requirements for achieving 4-Star certification. We’ve eliminated some site development standards and introduced embodied carbon reduction strategies that align with Built Green and will be applicable for projects aiming for other certifications that do not require embodied carbon reductions. Many of the Embodied Carbon Reduction Strategies were part of the site development requirements in DR 4-2021, like retaining or moving existing structures, using deconstruction methods of demolition, and using salvage wood.
We’ve simplified our green building forms and processes. We’ve also eliminated one of two special inspection reports and modified application forms to make them easier to understand and complete.
We’ve offered a separate green building incentive for new construction, Priority Green Expedited, that provided faster permit review and a single point of contact. It needs to be updated to align with the 2021 Seattle Energy Code. Priority Green is not currently available, will be re-evaluated, and ideally relaunched later this year.