Studies in Germany, for example, have explored the potential benefits of the expanded use of wood construction in homes and residential structures. Therefore, efforts to expand wood construction in the US have focused on increasing the use of wood in non-residential, commercial and government construction projects. The US National Climate Assessment released in May 2014 reported that US forest ecosystems, and the associated wood products industry, capture and store approximately 16% of annual US C02 emissions (Melillo et al., Established in 2000, LEED has certified about 15,000 buildings globally.