Environmental Certifications
Download our LEED and VOC Coatings Reference Guide for the latest list of Sherwin-Williams products that meet the environmental certification guidelines set forth by each of these organizations.
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LEADERSHIP IN ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN (LEED®)
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Green Building Rating System™ was developed by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) to provide a consistent, credible set of standards for environmentally sustainable construction. According to USGBC, LEED® Green Building Rating System™ encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices through the creation and implementation of universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria.
The LEED® Guidelines for Paints, Coatings and Primers vary from one LEED® Program to another. It is important to understand that not all LEED® programs are the same for paint. Categories may change, and most LEED® programs exclude exterior product selections. It is always recommended that you consult with a Sherwin-Williams Company Representative prior to making final selections.
CANADIAN GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL (CaGBC)
The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) accelerates the design and construction of green buildings in Canada. They are a broad-based inclusive coalition of representatives from different segments of the design and building industry. The LEED® Guidelines for Paints, Coatings and Primers vary from USGBC and CaGBC. It is always recommended that you consult with a Sherwin-Williams Company Representative prior to making final selections.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HOME BUILDERS (NAHB)
“Through the National Green Building Program™, the National Association of Home Builders is helping its members move the practice of green building into the mainstream. Energy efficiency, water and resource conservation, sustainable or recycled products, and indoor air quality are increasingly incorporated into the everyday process of home building.”
According to NAHB, The National Green Building Program offers several resources and tools to help builders, remodelers, home building associations, and homeowners learn how to build green, and the benefits of doing so. The National Green Building Program was developed to link dozens of successful state and local voluntary green building programs with a national online scoring tool for builders and verifiers.
Learn more about NAHB’s National Green Building Program™
MASTER PAINTERS INSTITUTE ™ (MPI)
Master Painters Institute™ (MPI) created their Green Performance™ Standard and recently MPI announced the release of its second MPI Green Performance™ Standard for paint and coatings. These standards are designated MPI GPS-1-08 and MPI GPS-2-08. According to MPI, GPS-1-07 is a fine-tuned version of the MPI GPS was first introduced in 2005. MPI, GPS-2-08 is the newest standard, with 50 g/L VOC maximums.
Learn more about MPI’s Green Performance™ Standard
CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD (CARB)
“The California Air Resources Board is a part of the California Environmental Protection Agency, an organization which reports directly to the Governor's Office in the Executive Branch of California State Government.”
According to CARB, their Mission is: To promote and protect public health, welfare and ecological resources through the effective and efficient reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and considering the effects on the economy of the state.
Learn more about CARB
Download Sherwin-Williams' CARB Specification
SOUTH COAST AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT (SCAQMD)
“The South Coast AQMD believes all residents have a right to live and work in an environment of clean air and is committed to undertaking all necessary steps to protect public health from air pollution, with sensitivity to the impacts of its actions on the community and businesses.”
According to SCAQMD, their Mission is: The South Coast AQMD believes that all who live or work in this area have a right to breathe clean air. AQMD is committed to undertaking all necessary steps to protect public health from air pollution, with sensitivity to the impacts of its actions on the community and businesses. This is accomplished through a comprehensive program of planning, regulation, compliance assistance, enforcement, monitoring, technology advancement, and public education.
Learn more about SCAQMD
Download Sherwin-Williams' SCAQMD Specification
OZONE TRANSPORT COMMISSION (OTC)
“The Ozone Transport Commission (OTC) is a multi-state organization created under the Clean Air Act (CAA). We are responsible for advising EPA on transport issues and for developing and implementing regional solutions to the ground-level ozone problem in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.”
“OTC brings together the states from Virginia to Maine to coordinate reductions in air pollution that benefit the whole region. We provide air pollution assessment, technical support and a forum through which states can work together to harmonize their pollution reduction strategies. OTC members include: Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia.”
Learn more about OTC
Download Sherwin-Williams' OTC Specification
Greenguard Environmental Institute (GEI)
The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute “is an industry-independent, non-profit organization that oversees the GREENGUARD Certification Programsm. As an ANSI Authorized Standards Developer, GEI establishes acceptable indoor air standards for indoor products, environments, and buildings. GEI’s mission is to improve public health and quality of life through programs that improve indoor air. A GEI Advisory Board consisting of independent volunteers, who are renowned experts in the areas of indoor air quality, public and environmental health, building design and construction, and public policy, provides guidance and leadership to GEI.”
The Sherwin-Williams products that are GreenGuard Indoor Air Quality Certified® and GreenGuard Certified for Children and Schools are Harmony, ProGreen 200, ProIndustrial 0VOC Acrylic, ProIndustrial ProCryl, PrepRite Block Filler, and ProSelect Stampede TX-1 Textured Polyurethane Sealant.
Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS)
“The mission of the Collaborative for High Performance Schools is to facilitate the design, construction and operation of high performance schools: environments that are not only energy and resource efficient, but also healthy, comfortable, well lit, and containing the amenities for a quality education.”
“CHPS helps facilitate and inspire change in our educational system. The goals of CHPS are to: Increase student performance with better-designed and healthier facilities, Raise awareness of the impact and advantages of high performance schools, Provide professionals with better tools to facilitate effective design, construction and maintenance of high performance schools, Increase school energy and resource efficiency, and Reduce peak electric loads.”
”The Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) rating program criteria scoring includes points for Low-emitting Materials under Credit EQ 2.2. This credit requires products to be tested in accordance with the California Department of Health Services (CDHS) Standard PracticeA, as referenced below, and meet its allowable emission limits. Section 6 of the CDHS Standard Practice defines the provisions required for “Acceptable Alternatives to its Practice”.
As an acceptable alternative, products certified under GREENGUARD Children & Schools Program (C&S) are eligible for CHPS EQ2.2 points provided that all of the following terms and conditions agreed to by CHPS and Greenguard Environmental Institute (GEI)”
