Green furniture certification plays a major role in helping us to decide what to buy. We’ve mentioned how LEED certification has stepped to the forefront as one of the most popular green certifications out there, whether you’re talking about sustainable buildings in New York City or aspiring green schools starting from scratch. Now we get word that the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), the originator and developer of LEED, has plans to move its headquarters to a more spacious Washington, DC location as more and more buildings look to go green.

According to CoStar Realty, the USGBC plans to increase office space by over 200% on the heels of a tenfold increase in the nonprofit’s membership since LEED was introduced at the turn of the millennium. John Tepper Marlin of the Huffington Post writes that LEED’s popularity stems in part from its multi-tiered system with lower levels that make certification sufficiently attainable for many projects and higher levels that present a true challenge for more serious green developers.

So will the USGBC aim to renovate its new space at the same level of sustainability as the building projects that seek LEED certification? According to CoStar, the USGBC will seek LEED Platinum certification, which represents the highest available sustainable level. Look for the move to conclude sometime in Spring 2009.

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