This guide outlines how major green building standards including LEED v5, WELL v2, and the Living Building Challenge award credits for using products with low volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. It highlights the transition to more rigorous, material-focused requirements that prioritize indoor air quality through third-party testing and ISO-accredited laboratory certifications.

USGBC LEED Rating System

There are a number of green building rating systems that provide credits for building products and furniture with low emissions or low content of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These credits are structured to encourage the selection of products with minimal adverse indoor environmental quality (IEQ) impacts. Of these, USGBC's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards are the most widely known and used green building rating systems globally. The LEED standards are also the most highly developed. There are approximately 200,000 building projects with LEED certification in the U.S. and throughout the world and many make use of one or more of the available LEED Low-Emitting Materials (LEM) credits.

LEED v5 MR LEM

With the introduction of LEED v5, the LEM credit has undergone a significant structural change, moving from the Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ) category to the Materials and Resources (MR) category. This shift treats low-emitting performance as a holistic material health attribute. While LEED v4.1 allowed projects to select from eligible Low-Emitting Materials categories, LEED v5 introduces a structured system that prioritizes high-impact interior surface areas, with specific compliance paths tailored to New Construction, Core and Shell, and Interior Design + Construction (ID+C) project types.

Compliance is organized to reflect the scope of work for each rating system. For New Construction projects, a tiered path system serves as the foundation. A project must meet the ≥90% threshold for Paints, Flooring, and Ceilings (Path 1) before it can pursue additional points through Path 2 or Path 3. In contrast, Core and Shell projects focus on a selection of three primary categories, while ID+C projects utilize a scalable model where teams can earn up to four points by increasing the number of compliant product categories.

The tables below outline the specific compliance requirements and thresholds for each project type. While the credit text focuses on the thresholds, industry best practices dictate that the documentation provided, such as Berkeley Analytical's Compliance Tested laboratory certificates and ClearChem Self-Declarations, must be backed by tests performed by laboratories with the relevant standards in their ISO/IEC 17025 accreditations. This ensures the validity of the CDPH Standard Method testing across all product categories, from composite wood through furniture.

Project Category Requirements

Compliance is calculated by determining the percentage of compliant materials within each category. Teams may choose the most favorable metric (cost or usage) for each category as defined below:

LEED v5 LEM Thresholds for New Construction Projects

LEED v5 LEM Thresholds for Core and Shell Projects

LEED v5 LEM Thresholds for ID+C Projects

By aligning the LEM credit with the Materials and Resources section and utilizing these project specific structures, LEED v5 aims to ensure that the most prominent indoor surfaces meet a high bar of compliance. Whether a project is a full build-out under ID+C, a base building under Core and Shell, or a standard New Construction project, this framework provides a clear, rigorous roadmap for reducing indoor contaminants while streamlining documentation through established pathways.

Berkeley Analytical is an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory with test methods CDPH Standard Method V1.2 and ANSI/BIFMA M7.1 in the scope of its accreditation. We are equipped with a large number of environmental chambers of various sizes and have performed thousands of tests of product samples that allow companies to market their products as contributing to LEED and other building rating system LEM credits. All compliant tests are documented with a full laboratory report and a BkA Compliance Tested certificate. Additionally, we operate the ClearChem® program which is officially approved by USGBC as a first-party claims pathway for LEM credits. Contact us today to get started.

LEED v4.1 EQ LEM

In mid-2020, USGBC released LEED v4.1, a relatively minor revision of LEED v4. The LEM credit in LEED v4.1 was simplified to make compliance more attainable. The complicated budget calculation method in LEED v4 was removed, the concept of bundled categories of walls, ceilings, and insulation was removed.

The LEED v4.1 credit is based solely on meeting the LEM criteria for a specified number of compliant product categories. There are eight categories: Paints & Coatings, Adhesives & Sealants, Flooring, Wall panels, Ceilings, Insulation, Furniture, and Composite wood. One to three points and an exemplary performance bonus are available depending upon the number of compliant categories. For most categories, compliance is determined based on the quantity of products in compliance either as the percent of cost or the percent of surface area with the compliance threshold ranging between 75% to 90% by cost or surface area or by volume or surface area for wet-applied products. The table below reproduces the LEED v4.1 thresholds of compliance for the eight product categories. The subsequent table shows the associated LEM point system. All laboratories performing tests must be ISO/IEC 17025 accredited and the test methods must be within the scopes of their accreditations. All third-party certification bodies must be accredited under ISO/IEC 17065.

LEED v4.1 LEM Credit System

LEED v4.1 LEM Point System

As can be seen by comparing the LEM credit system in LEED v4.1 with the previous LEED v4 system, the incorporation of low-emitting products into buildings was incentivized. Thresholds to compliance were lowered to more realistic levels and more pathways were created for a building project to earn maximum credits for its efforts to reduce potential sources of indoor air contaminants.

LEED v4 EQ LEM

USGBC's LEED v4 was a major technical upgrade of the 2009 LEED standard. LEED v4 became mandatory in late 2016 for building projects seeking LEED certification. In LEED v4 ID+C, there are 128 points total with 17 points available for Indoor Environmental Quality. For EQ Credit: Low-Emitting Materials (LEM), LEED v4 includes product categories representing all of the major interior surfaces in a building and all of the layers comprising these surfaces. The table below reproduces the thresholds of compliance for the six categories of products under Option 1, Product Category Calculations. Three compliant categories earn one point for the project, five compliant categories earn two points and six compliant categories earn three points. Option 2, the Budget Calculation Method allows summing of the compliant percentages across all relevant categories with one to three points awarded depending upon the total percentage of compliant products.

LEED v4 LEM Credit System, Option 1 Product Categories

The WELL Building Standard, WELL v2, International WELL Building Institute, 2020

IWBI officially launched WELL v2 in September 2020 after two years of extensive development and use as WELL v2 pilot. During that period, IWBI claims that the standard was used in more than 3000 projects across 54 countries. As stated on the company's website, the WELL Building Standard is intended to produce more thoughtfully designed and operated spaces that generally enhance human health and well-being. The features of WELL v2 can be viewed here.

The system rewards 100 points maximum with a maximum of 12 points in each of ten impact categories, termed 'Features.' There are no prerequisites for low-emitting materials. Feature X06, VOC Restrictions, is optional and provides a maximum of four points credit for utilizing low-emitting materials inside of the building envelope. A specified number of wet-applied products consisting of paints, coatings, adhesives, sealants, and poured floor coverings are required to meet the VOC content requirements in several listed regulations and other standards. And, at least 75% of these wet-applied products by surface area or volume are required to be tested by a third-party laboratory for compliance with CDPH Standard Method V1.2. Or, the laboratory can test by EN 16516 and show compliance with the European Union LCI values. Compliance with these requirements for limiting VOCs from wet-applied products earns two points.

Additional points are available for limiting VOC emissions from three other product categories: Flooring; Furniture, millwork and fixtures; and Insulation, ceiling and wall panels. The respective compliance thresholds are 90% by cost or surface area, 75% by cost, and 75% by cost or surface area. Testing and compliance are either by: 1) CDPH Standard Method V1.2, 2) ANSI/BIFMA M7.1 with compliance to ANSI/BIFMA e3 Section 7.6.1 or Section 7.6.2 for furniture, or 3) EN 16516 with compliance to either the German AgBB evaluation scheme or to the European Union LCI values. One compliant category earns one point and two or more compliant categories earn two points.

Living Building Challenge, 4.0, Living Future Institute, 2019

LFI published the Living Building Challenge 4.0 standard in 2019 with the stated goal of streamlining the program so that the level of effort required to attain accreditation is better aligned with the impacts at both project and market level scales. The Living Building Challenge is deliberately not a points-based system. Project teams are required to address potential issues in seven performance areas termed 'Petals' and 20 Imperatives grouped within these Petals. Low-Emitting Materials are addressed in the Health + Happiness Petal, Imperative 10, Healthy Interior Performance. This Imperative requires all projects to comply with CDPH Standard Method (or international equivalent) for 90% of the interior products that have the potential to emit VOCs. In 2020, ILFI published the "Materials List for Affordable Housing," an annotated list of preferred materials with attribute categories such as 'Declare Red-List Free' and 'CDPH Compliant' that are required to document compliance with the Materials and Health + Happiness Petals.

Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS)

As of June 2025, the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) was integrated into the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) through its Center for Green Schools. Projects already registered with CHPS can complete certification through mid-2027, after which green school design initiatives will be incorporated into USGBC's sustainable school programs. During the two-year period when CHPS certification remains available, project teams will continue to pursue CHPS certification and access support without any changes to the existing process.

CHPS National Core Criteria, v3.0, Collaborative for High Performance Schools, 2019

Prior to integration with USGBC's Center for Green Schools, CHPS published criteria for the design of schools with the goals of maximizing the health, well-being, and performance of students, teachers, and staff; conserving resources; and practicing good environmental stewardship. This was a points-based program like most other green building rating systems. The CHPS National Core Criteria v3.0 (2019) supported the CHPS Designed and CHPS Verified certification programs. There were seven impact categories with a total of 200 points available. Low-Emitting Materials were addressed in the Indoor Environmental Quality category, with three prerequisite requirements affecting Paints & Coatings, Flooring Systems, and Composite Wood, plus six optional criteria awarded one point each for compliance. The thresholds of compliance for the award credits were high and the reward of a single point per criteria within the framework of the standard was relatively low.

CHPS Core Criteria 2019 LEM Credit System

National Green Building Standard, ICC 700-2020, National Association of Homebuilders, 2020

The U.S. National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) partnered with the International Code Council (ICC) to establish a green building standard for newly constructed and remodeled single-family homes, town houses, and multifamily residential buildings including assisted-living and group homes. The first version of the standard was published in 2008 and received ANSI approval as a consensus-based standard. The 2020 version of the National Green Building Standard (NGBS), ICC 700-2020, includes process improvements and introduces new practices. The NAHB claims that there are over 200,000 certified dwelling units to date.

The NGBS is a points-based system with four rating levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Emerald. The minimum points required to obtain a rating range from 231 to 611. The minimum points in the Indoor Environmental Quality section in Chapter 9 range from 25 to 97, representing from 11% to 16% of the total minimum points. The Low-Emitting Materials are addressed in Section 901. The award criteria and possible points are summarized in the following table. There are no mandatory requirements for Low-Emitting Materials. Excluding furniture for common areas of multi-family buildings, there are 39 maximum available points. Generally, the threshold of compliance for a material category is 85%. It is important to note that language in the standard requires that LEM products be third-party certified by a program accredited to ISO 17065. Also, the old version of the CDPH Standard Method is still cited as the test method. The NGBS is revised on a continuous maintenance basis. Forms for submitting proposals for changes to the 2020 standard can be obtained from the Home Innovations Lab website.

ICC 700-2020, National Green Building Standard, NAHB LEM Credit System

Sources

1. LEED – U.S. Green Building Council LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) is a globally recognized green building rating system that provides a framework for healthy, efficient, and sustainable building design, construction, and operations. It applies to many project types (new construction, interiors, operations & maintenance, neighborhoods, and cities) and awards certification levels based on points earned across sustainability categories.
   URL: https://www.usgbc.org/leed
2. WELL Certified Ratings – IWBI The WELL Rating System focuses on building features that impact human health and wellness. A project achieves different WELL certification levels by meeting prerequisites and pursuing optimization features that improve environmental conditions such as air, water, light, and comfort.
   URL: https://www.wellcertified.com/ratings
3. Living Building Challenge – Living Future Institute The Living Building Challenge (LBC) is a regenerative building certification and framework that promotes the most advanced sustainability standards in the built environment. It challenges projects to meet strict performance goals in categories like energy, water, materials, health, equity, and beauty, often requiring buildings to produce net positive benefits and operate within ecological limits.
   URL: https://living-future.org/lbc/
4. CHPS – Collaborative for High Performance Schools The Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) is a green building rating and best-practices program originally focused on K-12 schools, aimed at improving school performance, energy and water efficiency, and indoor environmental quality. CHPS provides criteria, tools, and guidance for designing, constructing, and operating healthier, more sustainable educational facilities.
   URL: https://chps.net/
   URL: https://support.usgbc.org/hc/en-us/articles/42389091612179-Collaborative-for-High-Performance-Schools-CHPS
5. ICC 700 National Green Building Standard (NGBS) – National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) The ICC 700 National Green Building Standard is a residential green building rating system developed through a consensus process (ANSI) and administered by NAHB. It provides sustainable design and construction criteria for homes and multifamily buildings, with certification levels such as Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Emerald based on performance in areas like resource efficiency, water and energy efficiency, and indoor environmental quality.
   URL: https://www.nahb.org/advocacy/industry-issues/sustainability-and-green-building/icc-700-national-green-building-standard

Last Edited February 27, 2026 by Stone Silva, LEED AP BD+C & WELL AP