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Environmental labelling of buildings and construction products: lessons for South Africa from global trends

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dc.contributor.author Ampofo-Anti, NL
dc.date.accessioned 2012-10-03T07:26:36Z
dc.date.available 2012-10-03T07:26:36Z
dc.date.issued 2012-07
dc.identifier.citation Ampofo-Anti, NL. Environmental labelling of buildings and construction products: lessons for South Africa from global trends. International Green Building Conference and Exhibition: Future Trends and Issues Impacting on the Built Environment, Sandton, South Africa, 25-26 July 2012 en_US
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/10204/6125
dc.description International Green Building Conference and Exhibition: Future Trends and Issues Impacting on the Built Environment, Sandton, South Africa, 25-26 July 2012 en_US
dc.description.abstract Environmental labelling enables consumers to use their purchasing choices to protect the environment. The concluding declarations of the first three Earth Summits however caution that to truly serve this purpose, environmental labelling should be informed by life cycle considerations. Environmental labelling in construction takes the form of whole building rating systems and construction product certification programmes. The First Generation building rating systems have to date experienced much success in certifying green buildings. However, their future is at risk because the prescriptive standards they rely on need updating to address a number of shortcomings and limitations. These include the inability to assess the absolute environmental burdens of a building. The voluntary, market-based approach also prevents green buildings from garnering the critical mass necessary to contribute to national sustainable development targets. Second Generation building rating systems are leveraging LCA principles to move from prescriptive towards performance-based standards. This new approach responds to and complements emerging policy trends towards “green” building regulations and mandatory energy labelling of buildings. Construction product certification aims to minimise the outdoor environmental effects of buildings; and create a healthier indoor environment for building occupants. Under regulatory pressure, both the ISO 14020 and IAQ performance certification programmes are shifting from voluntary towards mandatory, minimum requirement. Post-1994 environmental policy presupposes that South African industry will leverage voluntary, LCA-based environmental labelling standards to assume greater responsibility for environmental protection. However, the construction industry response is largely rooted in prescriptive standards. As a performance-based standard which will soon be subject to mandatory implementation, SANS 204 Energy Efficiency in Buildings does not constitute a sufficient basis for sustainable building. Other, enforceable measures would be needed to consolidate the gains already made – these should be informed by life cycle considerations and must include environmental labelling regulations, sustainable building standards, IAQ performance standards and a construction-specific chemicals policy. en_US
dc.language.iso en en_US
dc.publisher Alive2green en_US
dc.relation.ispartofseries Workflow;9603
dc.subject Building environmental labelling en_US
dc.subject Environmental labelling en_US
dc.subject Construction en_US
dc.subject Building environmental assessment en_US
dc.subject Life Cycle Assessment en_US
dc.subject LCA en_US
dc.subject Human environment en_US
dc.subject IAQ certification en_US
dc.subject Buildings en_US
dc.title Environmental labelling of buildings and construction products: lessons for South Africa from global trends en_US
dc.type Conference Presentation en_US
dc.identifier.apacitation Ampofo-Anti, N. (2012). Environmental labelling of buildings and construction products: lessons for South Africa from global trends. Alive2green. http://hdl.handle.net/10204/6125 en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitation Ampofo-Anti, NL. "Environmental labelling of buildings and construction products: lessons for South Africa from global trends." (2012): http://hdl.handle.net/10204/6125 en_ZA
dc.identifier.vancouvercitation Ampofo-Anti N, Environmental labelling of buildings and construction products: lessons for South Africa from global trends; Alive2green; 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10204/6125 . en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Conference Presentation AU - Ampofo-Anti, NL AB - Environmental labelling enables consumers to use their purchasing choices to protect the environment. The concluding declarations of the first three Earth Summits however caution that to truly serve this purpose, environmental labelling should be informed by life cycle considerations. Environmental labelling in construction takes the form of whole building rating systems and construction product certification programmes. The First Generation building rating systems have to date experienced much success in certifying green buildings. However, their future is at risk because the prescriptive standards they rely on need updating to address a number of shortcomings and limitations. These include the inability to assess the absolute environmental burdens of a building. The voluntary, market-based approach also prevents green buildings from garnering the critical mass necessary to contribute to national sustainable development targets. Second Generation building rating systems are leveraging LCA principles to move from prescriptive towards performance-based standards. This new approach responds to and complements emerging policy trends towards “green” building regulations and mandatory energy labelling of buildings. Construction product certification aims to minimise the outdoor environmental effects of buildings; and create a healthier indoor environment for building occupants. Under regulatory pressure, both the ISO 14020 and IAQ performance certification programmes are shifting from voluntary towards mandatory, minimum requirement. Post-1994 environmental policy presupposes that South African industry will leverage voluntary, LCA-based environmental labelling standards to assume greater responsibility for environmental protection. However, the construction industry response is largely rooted in prescriptive standards. As a performance-based standard which will soon be subject to mandatory implementation, SANS 204 Energy Efficiency in Buildings does not constitute a sufficient basis for sustainable building. Other, enforceable measures would be needed to consolidate the gains already made – these should be informed by life cycle considerations and must include environmental labelling regulations, sustainable building standards, IAQ performance standards and a construction-specific chemicals policy. DA - 2012-07 DB - ResearchSpace DP - CSIR KW - Building environmental labelling KW - Environmental labelling KW - Construction KW - Building environmental assessment KW - Life Cycle Assessment KW - LCA KW - Human environment KW - IAQ certification KW - Buildings LK - https://researchspace.csir.co.za PY - 2012 T1 - Environmental labelling of buildings and construction products: lessons for South Africa from global trends TI - Environmental labelling of buildings and construction products: lessons for South Africa from global trends UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10204/6125 ER - en_ZA


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