Third Party Certification​ Sustainable Buildings Strategies FIG. B9A - Green Building Council   In addition to standard NIH construction practices being modified to incorporate sustainable building practices, the NIH has currently 5 registered LEED-New Construction Buildings under construction currently and 26 LEED-Existing Buildings being assessed.  The LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.   The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) created LEED as a rating system for green building.  LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health by rating different credits and assigning points Certification levels within the systems range from Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum.   ​​   FIG. B9B - Green Globe   Once the John Edward Porter Neuroscience Research Center [PNRC II] is complete, it will be the first Green Globe certified building on the NIH Bethesda campus.    Green Globes is a web-based program for green building guidance and certification that includes an onsite assessment by a third party. Green Globes offers a streamlined and affordable alternative to LEED as a way to advance the overall environmental performance and sustainability of commercial buildings.   The process utilizes third-party assessors with expertise in green building design, engineering, construction and facility operations. These professionals interface with project teams and building owners to review documentation and conduct onsite building tours. Those buildings that achieve 35% or more of the 1,000 points possible in the Green Globes rating system are eligible candidates for a certification of one, two, three, or four Green Globes. The Green Globes system provides higher levels of achievement based on the number of points a building acquires. ​