PORTLAND, Oregon — September 28, 2026 — SB 1398 allows state agencies to use Green Building Initiative’s Green Globes© certification as an alternative to LEED for qualifying new building and major renovation projects
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Senate Bill 1398 into law, formally recognizing Green Globes© certification as an alternative pathway for qualifying new building and major renovation projects undertaken by state agencies.
Authored by California state Senator Susan Rubio and supported by Green Building Initiative (GBI), SB 1398 amends California law to allow the state’s new building and major renovation projects larger than 10,000 gross square feet to pursue Three Green Globes certification as an alternative to LEED Gold, or, under certain criteria, Two Green Globes certification as an alternative to LEED Silver. This additional compliance pathway is available to projects with schematic design documents that are initiated on or after January 1, 2027.
“California has long been a national leader in sustainability and sustainable building policy, and SB 1398 continues that tradition by recognizing multiple pathways to achieve the state’s ambitious environmental goals,” said GBI Interim CEO Stephen Ayers. “By recognizing Green Globes alongside LEED, SB 1398 gives agencies the ability to select an equivalent certification program that best meets the needs of their projects without compromising third-party accountability.”
What This Means for California State Agencies
By recognizing Green Globes alongside LEED, SB 1398 provides California state agencies with an additional pathway to deliver sustainable, healthy, and resilient buildings to the communities they serve. The legislation expands the green building toolkit for state agencies while maintaining rigorous third-party standards for qualifying new building and major renovation projects. Beginning January 1, 2027, state agencies will have the opportunity to select the program that best aligns with their project goals and budget, providing new flexibility and ensuring the chosen certification reflects agency needs on a project-by-project basis. The state now joins a growing number of jurisdictions that provide public agencies with multiple pathways to achieve high-performance, sustainable buildings.
About Green Globes Certification
Green Globes is a science-based whole building certification system that evaluates the environmental sustainability, health & wellness, and resilience of all types of commercial real estate through a formal, third-party assessment process. The ANSI-approved American National Standard used in GBI assessments is developed using a rigorous consensus process. Green Globes has been recognized by the U.S. federal government since 2013 and is widely used across the U.S. and Canada with over 1 billion square feet certified to date.
About the Green Building Initiative
GBI, Inc. is an international nonprofit organization and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Accredited Standards Developer whose mission is to improve the built environment’s impact on climate and society. Founded in 2004, the organization is the global provider of the Green Globes®, Journey to Net Zero™, Guiding Principles Compliance™, and Ascent Building Certification™ programs, and it is the parent company of GB Initiative Canada. GBI also issues professional credentials, including the Green Globes Professional (GGP) and Guiding Principles Compliance Professional (GPCP). To learn more about opportunities to become involved with GBI, contact info@thegbi.org or visit the GBI website at www.thegbi.org.
Media Contact
Joe Kurle
Director of Marketing & Communications, GBI