Environmental labelling of buildings

Abstract

Actions and goals towards sustainable societies should address the design, construction and use of buildings. The building sector has significant impact on the use of natural resources and the quality of the environment. Recent studies shown that half of natural resources used are related to the building sector. At the same time, the construction and operation of buildings are responsible for the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions. The European Commission has adopted several directives regarding improved energy efficiency, the wider use of renewable energy, and the use of sustainable materials and products to guide designers and evaluate the impact of buildings in all stages of their life cycle. In this chapter, the most widespread methods for the environmental labelling of products based on the life cycle assessment approach and methods for the holistic certification of buildings’ environmental impact are presented.