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INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY (EQ)

OVERVIEW

Our built environments can serve as inspiration to improve human health and experiences in existing buildings. Through the Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ) credit category, LEED offers a framework to reimagine and operate buildings in a manner in which more people can thrive. The rating system empowers facility managers to explore these opportunities and examine the quality of the indoor environment. Using air quality, occupant experience, facility stewardship, green cleaning, and pest management strategies, project teams can assess and plan for healthier, more adaptable spaces that welcome and care for occupants more effectively.

Decarbonization Decarbonization is integral for creating a more stable and predictable climate as well as lasting social and economic value. The reduction in fossil fuel use, due to implementing energy efficiency measures, and using renewable energy have the additional benefit of improving air quality, especially in communities close to power plants and highways. Through collaborative operational planning, project teams can create spaces that are energy resource-efficient, healthy, and human-centric.

Quality of life Human-centric approaches are embedded throughout EQ and help to foster healthy and resilient indoor air conditions, ensure both occupant and worker safety, and incorporate feedback loops to monitor and continually enhance occupant experience.

Improving indoor air quality is a cornerstone of the EQ credit category. The air quality prerequisites and credits establish best practices for measuring and delivering cleaner indoor air ( EQp1: Verification of Ventilation and Filtration, EQc5: Air Filtration, EQc2: Ventilation Performance, EQp2: No Smoking ). To support building managers in adapting to changing environmental conditions, LEED v5 incentivizes the use of resilience management practices for wildfire smoke and respiratory diseases ( EQ6: Resilient Spaces ). Together, EQ prerequisites and credits help spaces remain conducive to human health and well-being even during adverse conditions.

In order to effectively care for the ongoing well-being of occupants and workers, attention to their experience is essential and is addressed in LEED v5 through a feedback process ( EQc3: Occupant Experience Performance, EQc4: Facility Stewardship Performance ). This feedback can improve the building and cultivate a true sense of comfort and stewardship.

Ecological preservation and restoration

U.S. Green Building Council LEED v5 Reference Guide for Operations and Maintenance, April 2025 Launch Edition 204