LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a third-party certification program developed by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) in 1998 that assesses the energy efficiency and sustainability of commercial spaces using a "whole building" approach. The LEED certification process looks at the building only, not products, services, or companies. The building is examined from the point of view of the five key areas of environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, indoor environmental quality.