Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
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What is a Life Cycle Assessment?
A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) evaluates the environmental impact of a product or process throughout its entire life cycle. While most assessment techniques focus primarily on operational carbon, LCA takes a broader approach by also analysing embodied carbon, from raw material supply and manufacturing to construction, use, and end-of-life disposal.
BREEAM New Construction 2018 places particular emphasis on LCAs, awarding credits under Mat 01 for conducting an assessment on your building.
Depending on the assessment scheme, carrying out an LCA at the appropriate design stages can contribute towards up to 20 additional credits, including:
- Assessment of operational energy and water use
- Selection of low-carbon materials
- Responsible sourcing of construction products
Why is LCA important?
UK regulations are gradually moving towards making LCA’s a requirement for certain buildings and materials as part of the national drive towards sustainable construction.
In addition to regulatory compliance, an LCA provides valuable insights by comparing different design options, construction processes, and material choices to determine the most sustainable solutions for your project.
Early adoption of a LCA can help reduce costs over the building’s life cycle while identifying opportunities for environmental improvements.
Our Expertise
All our LCA specialists are CIBSE Whole Life Carbon trained, and One Click LCA certified, ensuring your assessments are carried out to the highest professional standards using industry-leading software.
