The overall purpose of the LEED v5 Low-Emitting Materials credit is to protect indoor air quality and human health by requiring the use of building materials with low or no emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This helps reduce indoor air pollution, limit occupant exposure to harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde and benzene, and promote healthier environments in schools, offices, homes, and other indoor spaces.
The intent of the credit is: “To reduce concentrations of chemical contaminants that can damage air quality and the environment. To protect human health and the comfort of installers and building occupants.”
Low-Emitting Materials Credit Requirements
Project teams specify and install permanently installed products, paints, coatings, adhesives, sealants, flooring, walls, ceilings, insulation, furniture, and/or composite wood products that meet the low-emitting criteria. There are three pathways for New Construction projects. For Pathway 1, project teams must achieve all three categories:
- Paints and coatings
- Flooring
- Ceilings
For Pathway 2, project teams must achieve Pathway 1, plus any two of these additional categories:
- Adhesives and sealants
- Walls
- Insulation
- Composite wood
For Pathway 3, project teams must achieve Pathway 1 plus the furniture category.
Excluded Building Products
The following products and materials are not applicable to the low-emitting materials product categories: structural elements, equipment related to fire suppression, HVAC (including ductwork), plumbing, electrical, conveying and communications systems, poured concrete, structural framing, structural insulated panels (SIPs), and water-resistive barriers (material installed on a substrate to prevent bulk water intrusion).
Products That Are Allowed
Paints, coatings, adhesives, sealants, flooring, walls, ceilings, insulation, furniture, and/or composite wood can all contribute to this credit. Each product category may have specific requirements that LEED project teams must follow.
Paints and coatings
- Paints and coatings, by volume, cost, or surface area, must meet the volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions evaluation criteria.
- The paints and coatings product category includes all interior paints and coatings wet-applied on-site.
- Exclude foamed-in-place and sprayed insulation (include in insulation category).
Adhesives and sealants
- Adhesives and sealants, by volume or cost, must meet the VOC emissions evaluation criteria.
- The adhesives and sealants product category includes all interior adhesives and sealants wet-applied on-site, including those used to install air or vapor barrier membranes and floor-setting materials.
Flooring
- Nonstructural flooring materials, by surface area or cost, must meet the VOC emissions evaluation criteria.
- The flooring product category includes all types of hard and soft surface flooring finishes (e.g., carpet, ceramic tile, vinyl, rubber, engineered wood, solid wood, stone, or laminate), raised flooring systems, entryway (“walk-off”) systems, area rugs, wood subflooring, underlayments, sandwich panels, and air barrier membranes and vapor barrier/vapor retarder membranes (if used inside an air barrier membrane).
- Exclude poured concrete, composite wood subflooring (include in the composite wood category, if applicable), and wet-applied products applied on the floor.
Walls
- Nonstructural wall materials, by surface area or cost, must meet the VOC emissions evaluation criteria.
- The walls product category includes all finish wall treatments (e.g., wall coverings or wall tile), finish carpentry (e.g., millwork, paneling, railings, or trim/moldings), gypsum wallboard, wall base/skirting, interior and exterior doors, nonstructural wall framing, and nonstructural sandwich panels.
- Exclude wet-applied products applied on the wall, case goods, cabinetry (include in the furniture category), countertops (include in the furniture category), bathroom accessories, door hardware, and curtain wall and storefront systems.
Ceilings
- Nonstructural ceiling materials, by surface area or cost, must meet the VOC emissions evaluation criteria.
- The ceilings product category includes all types of ceiling finishes (e.g., ceiling panels and ceiling tile), suspension grids, surface ceiling structures (such as gypsum wallboard or plaster), suspended systems (including canopies and clouds), and nonstructural sandwich panels.
- Exclude wet-applied products applied on the ceiling and corrugated metal decking.
Insulation
- Insulation products, by surface area or cost, must meet the VOC emissions evaluation criteria.
- The insulation product category includes all thermal and acoustic boards, batts (faced and unfaced), rolls, blankets, sound attenuation fire blankets, and foamed-in-place, loose-fill, blown, and sprayed insulation.
- Exclude insulation installed outside an air barrier membrane.
Furniture
- Furniture in the project scope of work, by cost, area, or number of units, must meet the furniture emissions evaluation criteria or VOC emissions evaluation criteria.
- The furniture product category includes all permanently installed office furniture, cubicles/systems furniture, seating, desks, tables, filing/storage, specialty items, beds, case goods, casework, countertops, moveable/demountable partitions, bathroom/toilet partitions, shelving, lockers, retail fixtures (including slatwall), window treatments, and furnishing items (such as nonfixed area rugs, cubicle curtains, and mattresses) purchased for the project.
- A custom item in the furniture category is considered to meet the low-emitting criteria if all components of the finished piece, applied on- or off-site, are declared under the furniture category and meet the VOC emissions evaluation criteria. Alternatively, a custom piece meets the criteria if the finished piece meets the furniture emissions evaluation or VOC emissions evaluation criteria.
- Exclude office and bathroom accessories, art, recreational items (such as game tables), cabinet and drawer hardware, and planters from the credit.
Composite wood
- Composite wood products, by surface area or cost, must meet the formaldehyde emissions evaluation criteria.
- The composite wood product category includes all particleboard, medium-density fiberboard (both medium density and thin), hardwood plywood with veneer, composite or combination core, and wood structural panels or structural wood products.
Low – Emitting Materials Criteria
There are three Low-emitting Criteria for the credit.
- Third-party certification. Product has a qualifying third-party certification, valid at the time of product purchase, that demonstrates testing and compliance according to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Standard Method v1.2-2017. using the private office scenario. Products used in classrooms may be modeled using the schools or private office scenario.
- Qualified independent laboratory report. Product has a qualifying laboratory report (or summary) demonstrating the product has been tested no more than three years prior to the product’s purchase, according to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Standard Method v1.2-2017. Products must meet the VOC limits in Table 4-1 of the private office scenario. Products used in classrooms may be modeled using the schools or private office scenario.
- Inherently non-emitting. The final Low-emitting Criteria is if product is inherently non-emitting, salvaged, or reused. Inherently non-emitting products include products like stone, ceramic, powder-coated metals, plated or anodized metal, glass, concrete, clay brick, and unfinished or untreated solid wood.
Conclusion
The LEED v5 Low-Emitting Materials credit represents a critical step toward creating healthier indoor environments by limiting exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other chemical emissions. By setting rigorous standards across a wide range of product categories—such as paints, adhesives, flooring, insulation, and furniture—this credit ensures that only materials meeting strict emissions criteria are installed in LEED-certified buildings. Whether achieved through third-party certification, independent lab testing, or the use of inherently non-emitting materials, compliance with this credit not only supports better indoor air quality but also reinforces a commitment to occupant health, comfort, and environmental stewardship. As indoor air quality continues to be a top concern in sustainable design, the Low-Emitting Materials credit remains a cornerstone of LEED’s mission to improve building performance and human well-being.