Of all the developments in the building industry over the past 10 years, I can’t think of one that’s had as much impact as the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED system. Wouldn’t it be great if the same thing turned out to be true for the next decade? That is, LEED not only serves as a stamp of approval, but also continues to push the envelope of what it means for a building to be green — and pushes hard enough to change the market.The next 10 years promise major shifts in building design and operation. Concerns about climate change will drive many developments, though green building benefits go beyond energy. Buildings that meet broad green criteria are increasingly popular with everyone from customers to investors.Still, energy is increasingly central to discussions of green buildings. And questions have been raised about whether LEED does enough to ensure that buildings are energy efficient. LEED 2009 requires all certified buildings to provide energy and water-use data for five years. But at this point, LEED doesn’t require certified buildings to verify that they’re meeting any standard for efficiency.If energy is at the core of sustainability, how can a building be called green if its energy performance might be mediocre or worse? A LEED mandate for verification of design energy use would be a powerful step to ensure that design intention carries over to operational reality.Observers also want more weight placed on life-cycle assessment. That would ultimately mean taking into account energy sunk into building materials, as well as other environmental impacts of a product life cycle.That’s a tall order. But USGBC hasn’t rested on its laurels when it comes to LEED. Over time, it has toughened LEED requirements. Continuing with that approach will ensure that green buildings keep getting greener.