Well, they admitted it:
To counter the criticism that LEED isn’t rigorous enough, USGBC is placing a greater focus on data collection. In the past, LEED hasn’t fully collected and analyzed data on things like energy and water savings, reduced runoff or air quality. “This is one of the things that frustrates advocates,” said Rob Watson, founder of LEED. “Data or the lack thereof is the biggest hindrance to sustainability.”
As we’ve said all along, LEED certification was given for effort not results (we proudly place plaques here on campus of course) and the data wasn’t even collected on performance. Did it really take a bunch of critics for an organization that cares about the environment to actually measure its impact?
The environment is not about the environment.