Eco-Labelling Worldwide

Photo: Troldtekt® akustik

Construction has long been recognised as one of the most resource-hungry and therefore least sustainable industries in the world. Despite increasing awareness of the need to develop a more sustainable approach within the construction industry, this proved difficult without a reliable method of evaluating and comparing the environmental impacts of different constructions and materials.

The Building Industry accounts for 40% Co2 emissions and waste worldwide. In addition to non-renewable resources, mining, deforestation, pollution, toxic chemicals of producing building materials. To tackle these issues in a lifespan of materials, there are several tools and initatives worldwide.

Your knowledge and demand of ecofriendlier materials verified by third pary is essential to improve the industry and hereby is a short list of eco-documentation as an introduction.

Benefits of eco-certified building materials

Responsibility
Better health and indoor climate
Durabiltiy
Controlled by competent 3.party

3 principles of Climate Neutral Buildings by Bjorn Berge

Choose Low Impact Materials and Construction
Reduce Operational Energy
Maximize Storage of Carbon

Eco-Building tools Worldwide

Gaia (Holistic Ecological View)

Breeam (Holistic Point based system and different levels – design and documents verified by auditor)

LEED (Holistic point based system and different levels)

DGNB (Holistic point based system and different levels)

Swanmark

ZEB (Zero Emission Building – Norwegian Research Centre)

Building materials

“From the extraction of the raw materials, to production, packaging and transport, right through to your use and then your recycling bin. EU-Ecolabel life cycle approach guarantees that the products’ main environmental impacts are reduced in comparison to similar products on the market.”

Environmental impact in a lifecycle of materials

Raw materials: Mining – Deforestation – Soil erotion – Non-renewable resources – Biodiversity – Pollution – Water Resource Depletion
Production: Energy and pollution
Transport: Energy and pollution
Construction: Pollution and waste
In use: Smart design – pollution – durability
Waste: Design for demolition – reuse – recycle – pollution

Eco-labelling

Buildings

Breeam

Leed

DGNB

Products

Eu-Ecolabelling / Swanmark

Blaue Engel

Cradle-to-cradle

LCA / EPD -Environmental Product Description

Management

ISO14001

EMAS

CONTACT GREENBUILT

We publish ESG solutions with reputable documentation.

Biblio

Book: The Ecology of Building Materials, Bjorn Berge
Breeam
LEED
DGNB
Zero Emission Building definitions
Futurebuilt

Environmental Documentation – Products

3 Pricipals Bjorn Berge
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Europe
What is Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)?
EU-Ecolabel
Nordic Ecolabelling
Global Ecolabelling Network