The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has launched the second edition of its Whole Life Carbon Assessment (WLCA) for the built environment standard.
The first version of the standard was published in 2017 and the latest edition was produced in partnership with the Department for Transport and Net Zero Waste Scotland and takes on board more than 1,300 responses received during a public consultation in March this year.
The second edition is a global version of the standard and covers all built assets and infrastructure projects throughout the built environment lifecycle.
Justin Young, RICS chief executive, said: “The second edition of Whole Life Carbon Assessment for the built environment encapsulates RICS’s role as a global leader in the built environment and its duty to steer the industry towards decarbonisation.
“This second edition is a truly global standard for a global problem. I want to thank our members from every world region, our staff, partner specialists and the Department for Transport and Net Zero Waste Scotland for their hard work and crucial support, which made this a reality. At this year’s COP28, where RICS is a UN-accredited observer organisation, we will promote this standard and ensure it is at the heart of the built environment’s crucial response to climate change.”
Charlotte Neal, RICS director of surveying standards, added: “The built environment has been crying out for tools to measure its impact on climate change, which is crucial for developing mitigating practices to significantly reduce the industry’s carbon output.
“By providing a consistent methodology to assess the carbon output of buildings throughout their entire lifecycle, the second edition of WLCA will significantly improve the industry’s ability to measure and manage its impact on climate. Thank you to RICS’ members, staff and partners for your unceasing support of our work in leading the built environment towards a sustainable, net-zero future.”
Jesse Norman, minister of state for decarbonisation, said: “The UK is a world leader in decarbonising transport. This new standard will help reduce the carbon footprint of not only transport projects, but also from projects across all buildings, as the UK works to grow its economy and reach its net zero goals.”
Stephen Boyle, built environment manager at Zero Waste Scotland, added: “This landmark publication will be a key driver for circularity as it provides a vital standard for assessing carbon over the whole life of a building. This whole life consideration prompts built environment professionals to confront the carbon impacts a building has before, during and after its use.
“Circular economy principles can provide a solution to this problem by encouraging use of secondary materials to displace virgin ones, to use renewable low-carbon materials and to use digital tools, such as materials passports to create end-of-life value.”
