Does LEED v5 still accept industry-wide EPDs for credit points?

Only if the declaration beats the sector average by at least 20 % or is labeled “Optimized.” Generic EPDs that merely disclose impact without showing improvement no longer qualify.

How many product EPDs does a project need for the new credit?

Ten unique EPD-covered products from at least three suppliers can satisfy the disclosure path, provided each meets the 20 % improvement threshold.

Is an LCA now mandatory for all LEED projects?

Yes. The Quantify & Assess Embodied Carbon prerequisite requires a cradle-to-gate analysis of structural, enclosure and hardscape materials, either via whole-building LCA or EPD-based calculations.

Can a manufacturer reuse an older v4.1 EPD for LEED v5?

Only if the EPD is still within its five-year validity and demonstrates the required performance improvement. Off-the-shelf v4.1 disclosures that lack verified reductions will not earn credit.

LEED v5: Embodied Carbon Moves to Center Stage

Carbon is the new gatekeeper

The Materials and Resources section now starts with a mandatory Quantify & Assess Embodied Carbon prerequisite. Design teams must inventory global-warming potential (GWP) for structure, enclosure and hardscape, then flag their top three “hotspot” materials (USGBC, 2025). No reduction is required here yet, but without the baseline, the rest of the scorecard stays gray.

Fewer EPDs, steeper bar

The familiar 20-EPD target from v4.1 is history. Projects can earn disclosure points with just ten products from at least three suppliers. The catch: each declaration must outperform the industry baseline by 20 percent or carry the ISO 21930 “Optimized” tag (Green Building Report, 2025). Generic or expired EPDs no longer move the needle.

Meet the Building Product Selection & Procurement credit

LEED v5 merges the old EPD, HPD and sourcing credits into a single five-point package. Products are scored across climate, health and circularity attributes:

Level 1: any verified Type III EPD earns a 1× multiplier.
Level 2: combine an EPD with demonstrated carbon cuts or material health data for a 2× bump.
Level 3: hit all three attributes; carbon, health, circularity; and watch the score triple.

Three roads to embodied-carbon points

Whole-building LCA: Show a life-cycle result at least 10 percent below a modeled baseline and land up to six points.
Hotspot replacement: Slice the GWP of targeted materials—often concrete mix or insulation—by 10 percent to claim the same bounty.
Generational EPD proof: Supply product-specific EPDs demonstrating real reductions against the previous generation. Strong documentation can unlock the whole six-point haul.

Why 20 percent matters

USGBC aligned the 20 percent figure with leading Buy Clean benchmarks in California and New York, ensuring LEED stays a step ahead of code but within manufacturer reach (Cal-DOT, 2025). For a medium-rise office tower, that gap can equal the annual emissions of 200 passenger cars.

Manufacturer reality check

Speed wins specs. Bid schedules rarely wait six months for a new declaration.
Data discipline matters. The credit ignores descriptive or outdated EPDs; only third-party-verified numbers count.
Every gram counts. Cutting slag in structural concrete by two percent can push a borderline product over the 20 percent line.

The upside: commercial ROI

Projects chasing LEED Platinum now need low-carbon products the way athletes need shoes. Manufacturers armed with high-performing EPDs often see specification rates jump 15–20 percent within a year, according to a 2024 CLF market survey. Exact numbers differ by sector, but the trend is clear.

Put it into practice

Start with a quick gap analysis: compare your current GWP against the latest industry average; circle products sitting within 25 percent and target those first. Next, engage an LCA partner who can shoulder the data wrangling so your engineers stay on the line not in spreadsheets. Finally, publish through a recognized program operator to avoid point-chasing headaches down the road. Simple, but not easy.