LEED® and USGBC Recognize Global GreenTag Product Health Declaration™ (the GreenTag PhD™)!

The presence of Global GreenTag LLC, Americas in the US market is set to be enhanced further. The certifier's Global GreenTag PhD, Materials Transparency Certification Program (reviewed and assessed by the LEED Committee and MR Technical Advisory Group (TAG) has been formally recognized within the LEED framework of Rating Systems. GreenTag's program is among the most stringent product disclosures in the world, and now noted by LEED and USGBC (US Green Building Council) as a Program that is formally recognized for not only LEED v4.1 but also v4.0, appearing in the next digital updates of the LEED Technical Manuals.

Global GreenTag Americas was launched in the USA last November at the GreenBUILD expo and conference hosted annually by USGBC, the creator of the LEED building certification program.

Thrilled by the USGBC decision, Daniel A. Huard, CEO of Global GreenTag Americas says "USGBC Technical Staff and the TAG did a thorough review and have approved the GreenTag Product Health Declaration for inclusion in the 'REACH Optimization' pathway for LEED v4 and LEED v4.1 rating systems' compliance internationally for The MR Building Product Optimization: Material Ingredients credit Option 2. Bringing the GreenTag PhD to LEED is one of the outcomes that we have been working towards. We were very pleased to read in the USGBC report that our PhD program:

"... builds upon SDS/GHS regulatory reporting and goes further than required by LEED to include the evaluation of process chemistry (in some instances), end use product ingredients, and exposure/risk in the in-use phase. For these reasons, the program exceeds what is required in scope for the LEED Option 1 credit in some ways..."

Joining with Global GreenTag last November to help accelerate sustainability at a product level in the US, Huard warmly acknowledges the work of founders of Global GreenTag International, David Baggs (CEO and International Program Director of Global GreenTagCertTM) and Mary Lou Kelly (Managing Director) "for their support, ongoing determination and work in leading GreenTag's Australia based staff to evolve GreenTag's product certification protocols, such that they continue to be the best in the world. It is a well-earned validation of the GreenTag Certification Team's tireless work, who are all very appreciative of USGBC's decision."

Following its increased rigor update of late 2018, the 2019 GreenTag PhD now provides content inventory to the 100ppm level, "which equals the most stringent Product Disclosures in the world, says Huard, and for building professionals this means that any question of stringency of content inventory evaluation is more than satisfied for all of GreenTag's PhD certifications from January 1, 2019 forward. In addition, all PhDs issued previously will be updated as well to the new protocol by June 30 2019 to ensure that all LEED practitioners can have confidence that where a LEED credit is mentioned on a GreenTag PhD there is formal recognition within LEED of that product's LEED credit relevance."

Global GreenTag also is developing a training program and narrative translator documents on the PhD for LEED Project reviewer(s) to insure that the ingredient, amount, role, and hazard for all ingredients present in the final product is made available in one or other of the compliant formats and to efficiently articulate the easiest way to find that data assisting in reviewer determination.

GreenTag Program Director, David Baggs says "we are new to the US but greatly look forward to helping the market better understand our certification protocols, which are based on factual data, detailed science and ISO standards compliance (among others). Understandably for some, while definitely LEED recognized and relevant they are not so familiar. That said," Baggs adds:

"Our PhDs are unique for other good reasons, in that we take the ingredient hazard flags and through a thorough risk assessment, we eliminate the hard work for green professionals wanting to not only use LEED but also go beyond LEED and understand the actual health impact of the product in use via the 'GreenTag HealthRATE' rating. These Health ratings are included on our PhDs, so from the multiple perspectives of LEED compliance, time saving and healthy building creation they are a win-win-win outcome for manufacturers and green professionals, alike."

Huard says that he is "so proud of Global GreenTag's collective commitment to materials transparency certifications and particularly its dedication to collaborating with USGBC, WELL™, Green Star® and other global sustainability Ratings Systems to bring about reporting methodologies, which make it easier for our client's products to be validated compliant and consequentially helping in the review process for LEED Building Certifications."

Additionally, says Huard, Global GreenTag has begun collaborating with HPDC and others in the product ingredient transparency space to help harmonize the way hazard information is presented following the release of LEED v4.1 "such that LEED MR Building Product Optimization: Material Ingredients credit Option 1 documentation is more consistent for reviewers to find and also ensuring that our PhD certifications along with the collaborators will be accepted without need for a translation document."

Watch out for GreenTag PhDs as they are updated on www.globalgreentag.us, www.ORIGIN.build, www.transparencycatalog.com, and www.ecomedes.com.

For more information, contact: Daniel Huard
Cell: +1 702.604.3359
Email:
CV: Daniel A. Huard
Global GreenTag CV: Global GreenTag LLC, Americas