This Program Manual contains all of the performance metrics and supporting information for organizations to receive a Just 3.0 label. It provides clarifications, calculations, exceptions, documentation requirements, and resources to guide organizations in their Just process.
GENERAL CLARIFICATIONS
The General Clarifications section includes guidance that applies broadly across all Just 3.0 Indicators.
INTENT + METRICS
The Intent and Metrics for each Indicator set the vision, requirements, and performance thresholds for the Indicator performance levels of this program version (i.e., Just 3.0) and will not change in periodic updates to the Program Manual.
COMPLIANCE DETAILS
The Compliance Documents, which include Clarifications, Exceptions, Calculations, and Documentation Requirements, follow the Intent and Metrics for each Indicator and provide further information on how to meet the Indicator metrics for the targeted performance level. These compliance details may be updated by Living Future periodically to reflect additional clarifications, exceptions, and other guidance, including updates generated by the Request for Ruling process (see Additional Tools and Support) that are applicable to all organizations. Organizations are held to the Compliance Details included in the Program Manual version that is current on the date of their registration. However, organizations may, at their discretion, comply with changes to Compliance Details in subsequent Program Manual updates.
Clarifications elaborate on the Intent and Metrics of the program, providing more specific guidance for each Indicator on topics including terminology, approved strategies and content, and approved data sources. Clarifications are generally listed in alphabetical order, and are divided into subcategories, as warranted, for more complex topics.
Calculations provide instruction and examples for calculations relevant to the Indicator metrics.
Exceptions may be established at Living Future’s discretion to recognize current limitations in available tools or data, or other circumstances that pose an unreasonable barrier to achievement of particular performance levels in particular situations. The expectation is that exceptions will be temporary until conditions evolve to render them unnecessary. Typically, exceptions are only applicable when certain eligibility criteria are met, and these, along with any additional performance requirements and documentation, will be specified in the Exceptions section for each Indicator.
Documentation Requirements list the documentation that must be submitted to Living Future to demonstrate compliance with the targeted performance level for each Indicator.
RESOURCES
Each Indicator section closes with a list of resources for further learning and to support implementation strategies. These lists are not intended to be exhaustive, and we welcome suggestions for additional resources at programs@living-future.org.
GLOSSARY
The Living Future Program Glossary defines terminology used throughout the Program Manual and provides an easily accessible reference for both general and program-specific language. This glossary is used for all of Living Future’s programs, including LBC, Core, Zero Energy, Zero Carbon, LPC, and Declare, to provide consistency across programs.
PERIODIC UPDATES
The Compliance Details will be updated periodically to add clarifications, provide additional calculation guidance, reflect broadly applicable exceptions, and/or make any other amendments or additions necessary for improving the clarity and content of the guidance. When needed, updates will be published at the beginning of the quarter (i.e., January, April, July, and October), at which time the cover sheet of the Program Manual will be date stamped.
With each update, a list of revisions is published, summarizing all changes implemented in that update. The list of revisions is organized by Category and Indicator, and indicate the location of the change within the Compliance Details, as well as a brief description of the change. Should organizations wish to reference previous versions of the Program Manual, they may download PDFs of earlier versions by using the link at the bottom of the Program Manual Table of Contents.
