Benchmarking Building Certification Systems: A Comparative Assessment of LEED, BREEAM, and WELL in Advancing Energy-Efficient and Sustainable Built Environments

This study presents a comparative analysis of the LEED, BREEAM, and WELL building certification systems, evaluating their effectiveness across the environmental, social, and economic pillars of sustainability using a Triple Bottom Line (TBL) framework and secondary research. The paper examines how each system addresses energy efficiency, carbon reduction, occupant well-being, and cost-effectiveness. LEED is found to excel in environmental performance and energy efficiency, while BREEAM offers more con-textual flexibility and comprehensive lifecycle integration. In contrast, the WELL system emphasizes health-focused metrics and indoor environmental quality. Despite their respective strengths, all three systems exhibit a consistent gap between certified performance targets and actual post-occupancy outcomes. This performance gap highlights the need for incorporating post-occupancy evaluations and real-time monitoring technologies into certification protocols. The paper proposes actionable strategies to better align these frameworks with global decarbonization and energy-efficiency objectives, such as adaptive performance tracking and enhanced feedback mechanisms. By revealing comparative advantages and systemic limitations, the study contributes to the refinement of certification schemes and offers insights for advancing sustainable, energy-efficient, and occupant-centered building design.