Don’t equate LEED certification with Professional Engineer title, says reader

A reader responds to the article posted, November 23, entitled “New organization will certify LEED professionals in U.S.” as follows:

“Reading the article on LEED certification in the U.S., I feel compelled to voice my strong objection to the Canadian and US Green Building Council’s use of the term “Professional” when referring to those that have met their
accreditation standard.
“The PEO licensing process for Professional Engineers in Ontario generally requires the successful completion of a four-year university degree, four years of additional work experience under the supervision of a licensed professional engineer and the successful completion of a number professional practice exams.
“The Green Building Council’s “professional” accreditation process, on the other hand, requires applicants to pass one exam that most find requires about one week of study. In my opinion, this is an insufficient threshold to support the use of the term professional. More importantly, this devalues the accomplishments of all practising professional engineers and erodes the credibility of the PEO as the sole licensing body for professional engineers in Ontario.
“It is important to remember that the work of the Green Building Councils in both Canada and the U.S. is built on the foundations of professional engineering fostered and upheld by licensing bodies across North America.
“LEED is just the latest in a long list of so-called required accreditations for engineers (remember when we all had to be ISO certified?). While LEED caught the imagination of many in the industry and has helped to bring “green buildings” into the mainstream consciousness, I was already a professional before the Green Building Council came along.
“I believe the PEO should take a stand against the use of the term ‘professional’ in reference to the LEED accreditation process and strongly discourage members from presenting the ‘LEED AP’ designation with equivalent standing to ‘P.Eng.’ on business cards and C.V.’s. “

John L. Moore, P.Eng.
Director, Chief Engineer (Mechanical)
J.L. Richards & Associates, Ottawa.