Rating tools for buildings

In the article from Dr Jeroen van der Heijden, the question is specific to LEED, but i would say what can we learn from the different rating tools? I think all of them are important systems but it should be used and applied carefully. Referring to LEED, i agree with Dr Jeroen van der Heijden that the rating tool shouldn't be away from criticism. From my perspective, i see LEEDas a more business oriented rating system, suitable for the USA market, but when trying to apply it in other countries i think it allows a lot for gaming, as the author states. Local context and conditions should be a matter of concern, while having a LEED certification not always means "green/sustainable" building. As an example, Torre Titanium La Portada in Chile, was certified LEED but it has 7 underground levels for parking 1,350 cars, what to me is far from being sustainable. I had the opportunity to work in the design phase of two buildings that where certified LEED, and at that time in Chile, the process was very mediocre. Not everybody was familiarised with the certification tool concepts, few people had been trained in the rating systems, and some credits were poorly adapted to be accomplished. While the different strategies that David Baggs presents do make sense to me, because they take sustainability to a further level, i have apprehensions in three aspects. First, to what extent these reductive and restorative measures need to be applied? If we just apply a few of them, will we really obtain the outcomes needed? Or do we need to apply all of the strategies to achieve the potential savings? I think that more research related to this metrics is essential in order to contrast effort with achievement. Second, aren't we running out of time? With the fast population growth rates, all our buildings should be being constructed with restorative and reductive principles, but we see that this is not what dominates the industry. Third, if we had the time and we knew the extent, is the manpower sufficiently skilled for applying these strategies? Although most of the the solutions lack of complexity, i consider that for their effective implementation a common language and a level of knowledge beyond the typical disciplines is necessary. So maybe, we need to embrace a new concept, the 5Rs(N): Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Restore, Now!