Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association’s Post

What is an environmental product declaration (EPD)? An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) acts like a report card for a building product's environmental impact throughout its entire lifecycle. Any product can potentially have an EPD, including building materials like concrete, steel, or insulation. EPDS within the construction industry: The construction industry is a major contributor to environmental impact, contributing around 37% of greenhouse gas emissions. With this in mind the upcoming revision of the Construction Products Regulation (CPR) signifies a major step towards increased transparency in the environmental impact of construction materials. To learn more about EPD, please read our new blog here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eE7y8FMv #ClockworkScreed #ScreedFlooring #EnvironmentalProductDeclaration

The US EPA just announced a public input opportunity for a $100M #EcoLabel Program for Low Embodied Carbon Construction Materials, as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The program aims to reduce climate pollution linked to the manufacturing of construction materials, which accounts for 11% of global #GreenhouseGasEmissions. The improved air quality resulting from this reduction aligns with President Biden’s environmental justice agenda. The label program will help define what constitutes “clean” construction materials in support of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Federal Buy Clean Initiative, which leverages the Federal Government’s purchasing power to spur demand for low-emissions #manufacturing . The program proposes to standardize and improve the data that manufacturers use in developing #EnvironmentalProductDeclarations (#EPDs) and create a central registry of #CertifiedProducts. #CarbonRATE, #GlobalGreenTag, #GreenBuilding, #LowCarbon, #lowcarbonfuture #lowcarboneconomy

🇺🇸 US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced last week a new initiative to promote sustainable construction through a low-carbon materials labeling program. Backed by the Inflation Reduction Act, this program aims to decarbonize the building industry by clearly identifying "clean" construction materials. "America has an opportunity to lead the world in developing cleaner construction materials to cut climate pollution and reap unprecedented economic opportunities. By clearly labeling what 'buy clean' means for products like concrete, glass, and steel, EPA will help accelerate demand for these materials and continue to build the clean energy economy." — Michal Freedhoff, Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. The program will initially focus on carbon-intensive materials like asphalt, concrete, glass, and steel, relying on environmental product declarations (EPDs) as a crucial way to gather transparent emissions data.  This program is set to transform the construction landscape in the U.S., making sustainability a key factor in material selection. Manufacturers will need to adapt quickly, and tools like One Click LCA's EPD Generator (https://lnkd.in/e-jYfvTp ) can help create the required documentation easily and efficiently.  👉 Read the full article to learn how this new program will affect U.S. manufacturing and construction: https://lnkd.in/exZGswuv #SustainableConstruction #EPD #LowCarbonMaterials #GreenBuilding

Life cycle assessments (LCA) are increasingly being employed to evaluate the embodied carbon in products throughout their life cycle, resulting in Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). You can download both Hadley Group's EPDs, one for the common blast furnace steel and one for low embodied carbon. You can also find out more on the different approaches to low embodied carbon raw materials and ensure you are selecting the right option for your project aims. If you have any questions about your sustainable design and project aims, please get in touch - https://lnkd.in/eSnSQaQ9 #SustainbleDevelopment #SustainableManufacturing #SustainableConstruction

The #EPA is seeking public comments on its draft approach implementing a label program for low embodied carbon construction materials and prioritizing steel, concrete, glass, and asphalt. The program will build on EPA's work under Section 60112 of the #inflationreductionact to support the development, enhanced standardization and transparency, and reporting criteria of environmental product declarations in the market place. #climateadaptation #emissionsreduction

Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA)'s Annual Conference attendees learned about the EC3 tool from Phil Northcott of Building Transparency. EC3 is an Environmental Product Declarations database and can compare buildings' environmental impacts. #EC3Tool #EnvironmentalProductDeclarations Learn More: https://brnw.ch/21wHKcb

🚧 Get the Site Right 2024: Minimising Construction’s Environmental Impact 🌿 The annual Get the Site Right campaign is back from May 2024, urging builders and developers to reduce their environmental footprint. This initiative, led by a joint task force including Cooks River Alliance, Georges Riverkeeper, NSW DPHI, EPA, and various councils, aims to raise awareness about the negative impact of building materials. Now in its eighth year, the campaign encourages proper storage of construction materials to prevent pollution. Last year’s compliance blitz saw a 6% increase in adherence, and they hope for even greater results this year. 🔧 Why It Matters: 🌍 The building sector is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, accounting for 37% of global emissions. 💰 Proper material management reduces pollution and can also be cost-saving as building materials become more expensive. ⚠ Stronger penalties for environmental violations are now in place, with fines starting at $15,000 for individuals and $30,000 for companies. 🌊 Key Messages: - Construction waste threatens our waterways and marine life. - Builders must secure materials to prevent pollution. - Sediment and erosion controls are essential on-site. At FutureCert, we simplify building certification. Whether you're a construction company navigating updated codes or a homeowner seeking smooth certification, we're here to help. Contact us for an inspection, quote, or a chat about your project. Let's work together to build responsibly! 🌏✨ #GetTheSiteRight #Construction #Environment #Sustainability #FutureCert

Concrete news this week: Portland Cement Association pushes back against new US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) particulate matter regulations (https://lnkd.in/giKYf8R7). PCA is quick to point out that cement intensity has decreased by nearly 40% in the last 20 years, but fails to mention that the total amount of emissions has doubled due to increased production. This image is from a paper, Growing role of concrete in sand and climate crises (2023) (https://lnkd.in/gMXkfVcr). The retort from EPA: we are trying to prevent “4,500 premature deaths and 290,000 lost workdays annually by 2032…We do not have to sacrifice people to have a prosperous and booming economy.” We can because we must. Pollution (carbon, PM2.5, etc.) impacts public health via climate change and beyond. In another fascinating (albeit also scary) read (https://lnkd.in/gEqg2QTj), research shows that installation of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) at a California cement plant near Los Angeles would reduce emissions by 87% AND reduce annual estimated mortality by 3-6 people per year as well as have a annual public health benefit of $30M-60M. At what cost is inaction? Clean Air Task Force California Air Resources Board AIA Los Angeles SEAOSC (Structural Engineers Association of Southern California) USGBC-Los Angeles

🇺🇸 The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced draft criteria last week for a new labeling program to identify climate-friendly construction materials, as well as standardized definitions for low embodied carbon products. This initiative, part of the Inflation Reduction Act, introduces draft criteria for uniform Product Category Rules (PCRs) and the establishment of a label program for low embodied carbon construction materials. PCRs are a set of specific rules that define how environmental impacts should be measured, what data should be collected, and how the information should be presented for specific categories of products. Currently, the U.S. PCR market is very fragmented, with disparate PCR requirements across various product categories, each dictated by different providers. Due to this lack of uniformity, the process for evaluation and comparison of products’ environmental impacts have been complicated. In response to this issue, the EPA has proposed mandatory standard PCR requirements, initially targeting carbon-intensive construction materials such as concrete, asphalt, steel, and glass. 👉 Read the full article to learn more. https://lnkd.in/d53BXQFb #decarbonizationnews #construction #buildingmaterials #productcarbonfootprint

Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)      We are deeply committed to sustainability and environmental responsibility at Shaw Contract, which is ingrained in our practices.      Our dedication is evident in our emphasis on conducting Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs), minimising the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of our products, and offering Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).     Our commitment is to uphold environmental transparency and follow sustainable best practices. EPDs are crucial for specifiers and customers to make informed decisions when building products. Shaw Contract EPDs are independently verified according to EN 15804 +A2 and ISO 14025 standards. This is why all our Carpet tiles have an EPD and an HPD for our Resilient flooring.    View EPDs and HPDs on our website today ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ebQdJHMn    #EPD #EnvironmentalProductDeclarations #EnvironmentallyFriendly #SustainableProducts #SustainableFlooring #FlooringManufacturers #SustainableSolutionProviders #CradleToCradle #CarbonFootprint #ShawContractEMEA #CarpetTiles #Flooring #FlooringSpecification #FlooringDesign #Architects #Contractors #PropertyDevelopers #Designers #InteriorDesigners #CommercialDesign #OfficeDesign