Labels for building materials and components sustainability assessment and certification

Abstract

This chapter will analyse the need to harmonize environmental labelling programs to ensure transparency and reliability. The various types of environmental labels, such as the European Ecolabel and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), will be discussed, with a special focus on the construction sector. The environmental impacts, such as global warming potential, of construction materials such as concrete, expanded polystyrene panels and bricks will be examined and their performance compared. Finally, EPDs of windows and solar panels will be compared to highlight differences in environmental impact and performance.