What is the purpose of the Intent statement in a LEED credit?

The intent statement in a LEED credit serves as a guiding principle that articulates the overarching goal the credit aims to achieve in the context of sustainability. It provides clarity on why the specific credit exists and how it contributes to broader environmental and social sustainability objectives. This helps project teams understand the purpose of the credit and how it fits within the overall LEED framework, encouraging them to adopt practices that lead to improved performance in areas such as energy efficiency, water conservation, indoor environmental quality, and resource management.

While financial costs are an important consideration in the building process, they are not the focus of the intent statements. Similarly, the intent statements do not detail the methods used to achieve credit compliance or specify the documentation needed for certification; those aspects are covered in other sections of the LEED credit requirements. The intent statement is primarily focused on the "why" behind a credit, promoting strategic thinking about sustainable design and construction practices.