Life cycle impact assessment is now being incorporated into major sustainability benchmarking tools such as the Green Star and LEED rating tools for buildings, and the Infrastructure Sustainability (IS) rating tool for infrastructure. There is widespread recognition that a number of barriers exist to conducting consistent and accurate life cycle impact assessment. However, the incorporation of such practice into these benchmarking tools indicates a common drive to overcome these barriers by adopting life cycle impact assessment as common practice to facilitate informed decisions about the impacts of construction materials being procured.
In 2012, the GBCA released a discussion paper: Life Cycle Assessment in Green Star which sought feedback from Green Star stakeholders about plans to incorporate Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology into the Green Star Materials category.
It proposed that the following construction elements be included in such assessments:
- columns, beams and slabs;
- roofs, exterior walls and windows;
- foundations, core structure and load bearing walls; and
- pipes, cabling, conduit and related fittings used in the provision of water and waste water services, electric and data services, ventilation and air conditioning.
Stakeholder feedback suggests that the GBCA should proceed with establishing an LCA methodology in Green Star and take a leading role in its development with the help of appropriate experts.
Feedback pointed to a complex mix of constraints and barriers that may be faced when establishing an LCA methodology. These include:
- the current lack of incentives for Australian building materials industry to provide data or undertake product LCA;
- data availability, quality and consistency;
- education on the benefits of LCA;
- GBCA developing an LCA methodology that is appropriate and fair;
- availability of funding;
- international collaboration and harmonisation; and
- a current shortage of expertise.
The feedback is available via the LCA in Green Star Stakeholder Feedback Report. It informed the development of two LCA-based draft credits, as part of the expanded Green Star Innovation Category (increased from 5 to 10 points):
Feedback on the draft ‘Materials Life Cycle Impacts’ and the ‘Environmental Product Declarations’ credits, their benchmarks and compliance requirements is now being collated via a recent discussion paper: Life Cycle Assessment in Green Star Discussion Paper 2. Edge Environment’s response to the discussion paper is available at: Edge Environment Response – GBCA Discussion Paper LCA – December 2013 FINAL.