There are various kinds of LEED certifications depending on the types and the phase of the building of projects, as follows;

• LEED Building Design and Construction (BD+C) For new construction or major renovations, and also includes applications for Schools, Retail, Hospitality, Data Centers, Warehouses & Distribution Centers, and Healthcare.
• LEED Interior Design and Construction (ID+C) for complete interior fit-out projects, Includes Commercial Interiors, and also includes applications for Retail and Hospitality.
• LEED Building Operations and Maintenance (O+M) for existing buildings that are undergoing improvement work or little to no construction. Includes Existing Buildings, and also includes applications for Schools, Retail, Hospitality, Data Centers, and Warehouses & Distribution Centers.
• LEED Neighbourhood Development (ND) for new land development projects or redevelopment projects containing residential uses, non-residential uses, or a mix. Projects can be at any stage of the development process, from conceptual planning to construction. Includes Plan and Built Project.
• LEED Homes for single family homes, low-rise multi-family (one to three stories) or mid-rise multi-family (four or more). Includes Homes, Multifamily Low-rise, Multifamily Midrise.
• LEED Cities for entire cities and sub-sections of a city. LEED for Cities projects can measure and manage their city’s water consumption, energy use, waste, transportation and human experience.

To obtain LEED certification, a project accumulates points by adhering to prerequisites and fulfilling criteria related to carbon emissions, energy efficiency, water conservation, waste management, transportation, materials usage, and indoor environmental quality. The certification process involves a thorough examination and assessment by GBCI (Green Business Certification Inc.), which assigns points based on the project's adherence to LEED standards. The total number of points determines the level of LEED certification: Certified (40-49 points), Silver (50-59 points), Gold (60-79 points), or Platinum (80+ points).

The major categories and their respective credits are;

• Energy and Atmosphere (33 credits)
• Fundamental Commissioning and Verification [prerequisite]
• Minimum Energy Performance [prerequisite]
• Building-Level Energy Metering [prerequisite]
• Fundamental Refrigerant Management [prerequisite]
• Optimize Energy Performance [18]
• Enhanced Commissioning [6]
• Advanced Energy Metering [1]
• Renewable Energy [5]
• Enhanced Refrigerant Management [1]
• Grid Harmonization [2]
• Location and Transportation (16 credits)
• Sensitive Land Protection [1]
• High Priority Site and Equitable Development [2]
• Surrounding Density and Diverse Uses [5]
• Access to Quality Transit [5]
• Bicycle Facilities [1]
• Reduced Parking Footprint [1]
• Electric Vehicles [1]
• Materials and Resources (13 credits)
• Storage and Collection of Recyclables [prerequisite]
• Building Life-Cycle Impact Reduction [5]
• Environmental Product Declarations [2]
• Sourcing of Raw Materials [2]
• Material Ingredients [2]
• Construction and Demolition Waste Management [2]
• Sustainable Sites (10 credits)
• Construction activity pollution prevention [1]
• Site Assessment [1]
• Protect or Restore Habitat [2]
• Open Spaces [1]
• Rainwater Management [3]
• Heat Island Reduction [2]
• Light Pollution Reduction [1]
• Water Efficiency (10 credits)
• Outdoor Water Use Reduction [prerequisite]
• Indoor Water Use Reduction [prerequisite]
• Building-Level Water Metering [prerequisite]
• Outdoor Water Use Reduction [2]
• Indoor Water Use Reduction [6]
• Optimize Process Water Use [2]
• Water Metering [1]
• Innovation (6 credits)
• Innovation in design [5]
• LEED Accredited Professional [1]
• Regional Priority Credits (4 credits)
• Integrative Process (1 credit)

Notably, climate change accounts for 35% relate to climate change, 20% directly impact human health, 15% impact water resources, 10% affect biodiversity, 10% relate to the green economy, and 5% impact community and natural resources.