Why don't we always build sustainably? It is a broad question that invites several different answers. For example, how do we know if what we are going to build or have built is really sustainable?
We can perform a calculation and analysis/assessment (Building Life Cycle Analysis, LCA) which can be carried out in many different ways. There is a European standard (EN 15978:2011) that describes how the calculation in theory is to be performed and the methodology to be used. However, there is scope for making various choices in practice — such as data quality, assumptions, etc. — that will affect the outcome.
This creates a risk of discrepancies between the analysis we do and the reality in which we find ourselves. We must be aware of the effects of different choices on the outcome.
We as an industry need to harness the power that building LCA can enable in practice so that active sustainable choices are rewarded. In this way, building material producers, projects and their actors are incentivized to actually actively make sustainable choices!
To spread knowledge and inspiration, we have therefore produced a publication that you can take part in — BLIP, or Building Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) in Practice.
This publication does not aim to create a new standard or to make new interpretations and adaptations. The publication aims to highlight that building LCA can be both simple and rational to apply in practice, to highlight the importance that active choices and real outcomes need to be reflected in the analysis, and to inform that building LCA is the key to driving the sustainable transition that plays a major role for all actors in the construction industry — from the building materials producer to the property developer/manager.