Presentation in session 111 during the World Sustainable Building Conference 2014 in Barcelona (28-30th .Oct. 2014) The theme of the WSB14 was: "Sustainability. Are we moving as quickly as we should? It is up to us!" Session 111 (out of 144 sessions) had to answer the question: "Are we moving in the same direction?" This presentation by CEN-CENELEC standardisation gave an overview of EU's rules, regulations and policies and the role of EN standards with regard to this. This presentation was one out of the 5 from this session 111. After a questioning, answering and discussion with the audience the session concluded: "No, we are not moving in the same direction!" see WSB14-Sessions 111-0 to 111-4

1. Organizedby:
Promotedby:
Withtheparticipationof:
A new legislativeactin Belgiumregardingconstructionproducts.
Federal PublicService, Healthand Environment, Belgium.
De Lathauwer, Dieter

2. From «I have the most environmentally friendly product» …
Because my product..
•Is based on natural materials
•Has 20 % recycled material
•Has a very low carbon footprint
•Has lower environmental overall impact
2
But…
•pesticides? Land use? Service life?
•transport to recyclingcentre?
•Otherenvironmentalimpacts?
•technicalperformance?
•badbuilding design?
•Transparency?
•Burdenshifting?
•Greenwashing?
•Freeriders?
•Confusion?

3. … tolife cycleassessment …
Resource extraction
Resource transport
Production
Transport of product tothe market
Transport to the construction site
Construction phase
Maintenance
Replacement
Dismanteling
Recycling
End of life (disposal, burning)
3
Global warming
Acidification
Eutrophication
Abiotioc depletion
Tropospheric ozone formation
Impacts due to land use
Particulate matter
Ecotoxicity
Human toxicity
Water depletion
Burdenshifting
&

4. 4
… to assessmentatbuilding level
Figure: OVAM
Data at product level
Evaluation andjudgement(of products)
at building level

5. Royal Decree-twoobjectives 5
A regulatory framework for green claims and single indicators / a first step against green washing
Mandatory in case of environmental claim on the product
Facilitate the provision of LCA/ environmental product declarations from the construction products manufacturers
Voluntary
Federal database
One database for the three regions
=
French approach
=
Dutch andGermanapproach
+
+

6. 6
ConformitytoNBN EN ISO 14021
YouestablishanLCA according toNBN EN 15804
Or youusea collectiveEPD
A 3rd party verifiesthe LCA
Youdeclarethe resultsof the LCA on the federaldatabase
Youadda link tothe federaldatabase adjacenttothe environmentalclaim on the product
Youput the product on the market – the LCA is publiclyavailable
Obligations
For individualmanufacturers, or groups, or federations
YouestablishanLCA according toNBN EN 15804
A 3rd party verificationof the LCA
Organizedbythe ownerof the EPD
Youdeclarethe resultsof the LCA on the federaldatabase
Up tothe manufacturertomake the LCA public or not

7. 7
+
Reference service life
+ Environmental impacts
Transport to the Belgian market
+
Environment impacts
End-of-life
+
Environmental impacts
Module D
(recyclability, …)
+
Environmental impacts
Additionalimpact categories
(PEF)
EN 15804
Tonotshift the market in anunfair way, policy mightneedtodeviatefromthe minimum requirements.
Start date
2015
Cradle-to-gatemarket independant
Gate-to-grave market dependant

8. Issues
I.
Mutual recognition
Set of indicators toolimited= burden!
Qualityandexperienceof background databases = burden!
Different nationalLCA/EPD databases = extra time + extra cost
II.
Assessment at building level <> assessingthe building
Benchmark
Weighting
III.
Productsmove, building not.
IV.
Harmonizeas muchas possible.
But nottoomuchbecausewe want toshow as muchas possibleonlyourstrong points.
Agreement
1.
LCA
2.
Data product level
Assessment building level
Database neededinput data level
Database neededEPD level
Database neededscenario’s
3.
Complex > verificationneeded

9. Conclusion
•Plenty of stakeholders + complex issue
•Cornerstones
-LCA based
-Data product level needsfixedrules=> database
-Large as possibleset of indicators
-General rulesforbenchmarking, weighting
•Freedom
-Actualpolicy measures(implementation, fiscality, actualweighting& thresholds, …)
Most urgent needs
•Framework needed–cornerstonesnecessary.
•Common digital exchange format fordatabases needed(onesingle internationalDB idealbut utopia)
•EU/INT official frameworkforfixing methodsenvironmentalimpact categories
•EU/INT official frameworkforweighting
•EU/INT frameworkforinventorydata
•EU/INT frameworkforbenchmarking andtargets at building level. Thisis the onlyreal driver.

10. 1.LCA is the way, but expensive=> howtomake surewe move in the samedirection+ scalebenefits forbothindustryAND policy makers?
2.Building productstravelinternationallybut have localimpacts.
3.The real challengelies in the technicaldetails (data quality, indicators, …)
4.Barrierswillbeneeded(long term environmentalneeds<> quickeconomicwins), challengelies in identifyingthe unacceptableones(market protection)
5.Impact duetomaterialsis onlypart of the story.
•locationof the building topublic transport, shops, ...
•Behaviousor the occupant
•Sizeof the housesper inhabitant
•Neighbourhoodplanning
•Adaptability
•…
6.A caris alsoverycomplex. But turningthe steeringweel is easy.
Somethoughts