The International Living Future Institute (ILFI) raises the bar for creating sustainable design with the most advanced building standard and certification program to date. The "Living Building Challenge is an attempt to dramatically raise the bar from a paradigm of doing less harm to one in which we view our role as a steward and co-creator of a true Living Future."

The Living Building Challenge consists of seven performance categories, or "Petals": Place, Water, Energy, Health and Happiness, Materials, Equity, and Beauty. Petals are subdivided into a total of twenty Imperatives, each of which focuses on a specific sphere of influence. This compilation of Imperatives can be applied to almost every conceivable building project — of any scale and location — be it a new building or an existing structure. Since it was launched in 2006, the Living Building Challenge has inspired and motivated rapid and significant change. Chris Gutsche is now a Living Building Challenge Ambassador.