Resources

ISO 14044:2006 specifies requirements and provides guidelines for life cycle assessment (LCA) including: definition of the goal and scope of the LCA, the life cycle inventory analysis (LCI) phase, the life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) phase, the life cycle interpretation phase, reporting and critical review of the LCA, limitations of the LCA, relationship between the LCA phases, and conditions for use of value choices and optional elements

ISO 14040:2006 covers life cycle assessment (LCA) studies and life cycle inventory (LCI) studies. It does not describe the LCA technique in detail, nor does it specify methodologies for the individual phases of the LCA.

Sustainability of construction works - Methodology for the assessment of performance of buildings. - Part 1: Environmental Performance

Sustainability of construction works. Sustainability assessment of civil engineering works. Calculation methods

Sustainability of construction works. Environmental product declarations. Core rules for the product category of construction products.

To avoid the worst catastrophes of the climate crisis, globally we must halve carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050. The built environment is directly responsible for 25% of the UK’s carbon emissions and therefore has a moral and legal responsibility to rapidly decarbonise. UKGBC’s Whole Life Carbon Roadmap (The Roadmap) was created by a range of industry voices in response to this context and sets out a clear trajectory for industry and government as we work towards a net zero future.

Why an integrated approach to buildings and infrastructure is essential for climate action and sustainable development The systemic consideration of all built environment assets, including both buildings and infrastructure, is essential for us to achieve the goals of a sustainable built environment for everyone, everywhere. WorldGBC’s network and partners call for infrastructure that is resilient, in line with our climate goals, and that meets the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals to align with our ambitions and action on buildings and places.

SteelZero is a global initiative that brings together leading organisations to speed up the transition to a net zero steel industry.

The new Low Carbon Concrete Routemap – the culmination of more than two years of work by the Green Construction Board’s Low Carbon Concrete Group (LCCG) – was launched in 2022

A set of embodied carbon calculation principles for the structural engineering community to follow

EPDs for specific products, with a range of modules

These emission conversion factors are for use by UK and international organisations to report on greenhouse gas emissions.

The RSSB RCT is an online carbon assessment tool primarily focused on carbon-baselining work in the rail industry. The tool uses the Inventory of Carbon and Energy database as its primary source of reference and includes a number of premodelled packages for commonly found rail infrastructure elements, e.g. permanent way, roads, bridges and drainage elements. You'll need to register for access.

ICE CESMM4 provides an estimate of the cost and carbon emissions for a range of construction activities and processes. The emissions for each activity account for the materials using a cradle-to-gate boundary, i.e. emissions associated with the production of the material and consideration of plant emissions in the construction processes (A1-A3 and A5).

Guidance for policy and decision makers to help them consider the value of a natural capital approach.

Developed in partnership with organisations operating across every part of the construction sector, the Built Environment Carbon Database (BECD) is free-to-access and designed to become the main source of carbon estimating and benchmarking for the industry.

The Inventory of Carbon and Energy (also know as the ICE database) is an embodied carbon database for building materials which is available for free.

The RICS whole life carbon assessment (WLCA) standard is set to become the world-leading standard for consistent and accurate carbon measurement in the built environment. This 2nd edition builds upon the success of the existing RICS WLCA standard, having been extended to cover all buildings and infrastructure throughout the built environment life cycle.

A tool to calculate carbon emissions for operational, construction and maintenance activities undertaken on behalf of National Highways.

The Carbon Trust is a UK-based organisation that provides advice and support on carbon management. They have a number of resources on PAS2080, including a webinar and a toolkit.

This website provides information on the PAS2080 verification scheme, which is used to assess compliance with the standard.

This is the official guidance document for PAS2080. It provides detailed information on how to implement the standard, including the requirements for whole-life carbon management, carbon reduction targets, and verification.