---
title: "LEED — Class A Atlas glossary"
description: "US Green Building Council's environmental rating system."
canonical: https://classa.info/glossary/leed
pageType: glossary
lastUpdated: 2026-04-01T00:00:00.000Z
license: "CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Class A Atlas (https://classa.info)."
---

> US Green Building Council's environmental rating system.

## TL;DR

- US Green Building Council's environmental rating system.
- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design — tiers Certified, Silver, Gold, Platinum.

# LEED

*ESG · Global*

## Short definition

US Green Building Council's environmental rating system.

## Full definition

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design — tiers Certified, Silver, Gold, Platinum. Trophy benchmark is Platinum. [LEED](/topics/esg-leed-tenants) BD+C is the new-construction family; LEED O+M is the operations family. Operational rating is the meaningful measure for tenants — design rating tells you intent, operations rating tells you reality.

## Example

Salesforce Tower (NYC) and Hudson Yards 30 are LEED Gold; 270 Park Avenue is [LEED Platinum](/glossary/leed-platinum).

## Why this matters for Class A leasing

LEED is part of the esg vocabulary that institutional [Class A](/glossary/class-a) occupiers, landlords, and advisers use across Global markets. Understanding it correctly affects how you read lease documents, model occupancy economics, and benchmark deal terms across cities. Class A Atlas tracks regional variation alongside the global standard so [cross-border](/topics/cross-border-expansion) occupiers can translate quickly.

## See also

- [BREEAM](/glossary/breeam)
- [WELL certification](/glossary/well-certification)
- [Fitwel](/glossary/fitwel)
- [NABERS](/glossary/nabers)
- [BCA Green Mark](/glossary/bca-green-mark)

## Related guides

- [LEED, BREEAM, NABERS: what tenants actually need to know](/guides/esg-leed-breeam-for-tenants)

---

Citation: Source: Class A Atlas (https://classa.info/glossary/leed), updated 2026-04-01T00:00:00.000Z.