The selection and procurement of construction materials makes a major contribution to the life cycle impacts of a building across the environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainability. Much is talked about materials selection and many sources of information are available mostly at the level of an individual material. Through BREEAM, BRE has encouraged a more whole building level consideration of materials through the use of robust and science-based approaches and BRE’s Green Guide ratings and Environmental Profiles Certification scheme have been at the forefront of the environmental assessment of the built environment using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). However, the current focus on whole building LCAs reflects a strategic shift in the approach taken in sustainability assessment of the built environment within the BREEAM family, and the implications of this shift on the future of Green Guide ratings and Environmental Profiles Certification are described in this document.
Green Guide to Specification, Certified Environmental Profiles and BREEAM30th June 2017
