Making sustainable construction a reality
As one of the world’s biggest economic ecosystems, construction must play a major part in achieving global sustainability goals. Choosing materials with low embodied carbon levels accelerates a greener future for construction.
The sustainability imperative
Driven by growing pressure from society and governments, the global intent to reach net zero is everyone’s business. Today, sustainability is no longer a nice to have for the construction industry; it’s essential, which means construction professionals must accelerate their decarbonisation efforts.
Working toward decarbonisation opens up significant opportunities for construction. Rapidly cutting the carbon impact of construction projects both big and small can deliver a competitive advantage and enhance a construction company’s reputation for social responsibility, attracting clients and investors.
Practically, this means following globally recognised green building practices, such as the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) sustainability certification. A key part of this is specifying construction products and solutions that can be proven to be low in embedded carbon.
Simplifying low-carbon choices
An Environmental Product Declaration, or EPD, is central to proving the carbon status of construction products. This comprehensive, standardised report details a product's environmental impact by assessing carbon emissions throughout its life.
In day-to-day specifications, an EPD makes it easy to compare and assess the environmental impact of products so building designers, planners, contractors and developers can make informed decisions.