Environmental profiles

A method of identifying and assessing the environmental effects associated with building materials

Many ‘green’ claims for building materials are made, but how can you be sure of their accuracy?

A reliable way of assessing and certifying materials is needed, both by the specifier fulfilling a sustainability brief, and the manufacturer wanting to demonstrate a product’s environmental credentials.

To meet this need we have developed the Environmental Profiles Certification Scheme, which provides ongoing, independent assessment and certification of environmental performance.

Certification – involves calculating the ‘cradle to grave’ environmental profile of a building material, product or system. This is a measure of all environmental impacts, during both manufacture and use, over a typical building lifetime. Once certified, environmental profiles are reviewed on an annual basis to ensure they remain valid, and are recalculated every three years.

Manufacturers – benefit from certification by being able to positively distinguish their products from the competition in a way that purchasers will recognise and accept. Certification also provides performance benchmarks, a greater understanding of supply chain impacts, and the opportunity to identify and correct inefficiencies and environmental impact ‘hotspots’.

Specifiers – benefit by being able to cut through the confusion of claims and counterclaims about green credentials. They can confidently select materials, products and systems in the knowledge that their environmental performance will be as specified.

Finding certified products – frequently updated lists of building materials, products and systems that have been assessed and certified under the Environmental Profiles Certification Scheme are presented at Green Book Live.