LECA INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR

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LECA INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR

• AN AGENDA FOR SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION IN EUROPE
• HARSTAD
• 27th June, 2002
• by
• John Goodall
• Director Environmental Affairs - FIEC

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Introduction (1)

• What is FIEC ?
• FIEC is the European Construction Industry
  Federation
• - 32 national member federations in 25 countries
• - Representing firms of all sizes
• - Practising all kinds of construction activity
• -  Sectoral Social Partner  in the European
  Social Dialogue
• - Associate member in CEN
• Participant in the European Construction Forum

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Introduction (2)

• The sector in Europe
• Total construction 2001 (EU 15) 868 billion
  EURO
• - 10 of GDP 48,9 of Gross fixed capital
  formation
• - 1,9 million enterprises
• - 11 million operatives
• - Europes largest industrial employer
• - 26 million workers depend, directly or
  indirectly, on the sector
• - Multiplier effect (12)

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Introduction (3)

• The sector in the world
• - US 3000 billion
• - 30 Europe
• - 22 US
• - 21 Japan
• - 4 rest of developed world
• - 23 developing countries

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Introduction (4)

• The sector in the World (1998 ILO figures)
• 111 million employees
• Output per person employed
• - US 79.623 in the developed world
• - US 8.507 in developing countries
• - developing countries share of output has
  increased from about 10 in 1965 to about 23 in
  1998

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Background to sustainable development

•  Limits to Growth  - Club of Rome (1972)
•  Our common future  - Brundtland Report
  (1987)
•  Agenda 21  - Rio de Janeiro (1992)
•  Habitat Agenda  (1996)
• WSSD  RIO 10  Johannesburg (2002)

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The 3 pillars of sustainable development

• Economic
• Social
• Environmental (ecological)

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United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

• Interface
• -  civil society 
• - Industry
• - Public administrations
• Agenda 21?Rio 10 (Johannesbourg 2002)
• Declaration for Cleaner Production
• Global Compact (Davos 1999)
• Global reporting initiative (1997)

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The European Approach

• Summit Meetings
• ?Amsterdam (1997) ? Cardiff (1998)
• ?Helsinki (1999) ? Gothenburg (2001)

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Amsterdam Treaty (new Article 6)

• Sustainable development of economic activities
• Promote economic and social progress
•  integration  of environmental protection
  requirements
• Environmental impact assesment studies
• High level of health and consumer protection.

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INTEGRATED PRODUCT POLICY

• Definition
•  an environmental policy designed to constantly
  improve the environmental characteristics of
  products and services throughout the life cycle 

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INTEGRATED PRODUCT POLICY

• Lower consumption of resources
• Gradual lowering of harmful substances
• Appropriate mix of voluntary or binding
  agreements
• Incentives to promote product management,
  eco-efficiency, eco-design
• Life cycle, chain effects cooperation with
  suppliers

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Competitiveness

• 1997 - Commission Communication COM (97) 539
  final and Action Plan
• 1998 - Council Conclusions
• 1999 Tripartite meeting (joint priorities)
• WG  Sustainable Construction  set up

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Sustainability impacts of construction

• /- 50 of all material taken from the
  earthscrust.
• /- 35 of all greenhouse gas emissions
• /- 40 of all waste produced (by weight but
  mostly recycled)
• the well-being of the Europes largest
  industrial workforce!

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WG  Sustainable Construction 

• 4 Task Groups
• TG1 - Environmentally friendly construction
• materiels
• TG2 - Energy efficiency in building
• TG3 - Construction and demolition waste
• management
• TG4 - Whole-life costs of construction

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CompetitivenessWG recommendations (1)

• Whole life costs of construction
• Sustainable procurement
• Sustainability performance indicators

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WG Recommendations (2)

• National plans and European programmes
  (guidelines)
• Development of software tools
• Education and awareness raising
• RD actions and initiatives

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National Plans Programmes published to date

• Finland
• Germany
• Ireland
• Luxembourg
• Netherlands
• Sweden
• United Kingdom

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TG 1 Environmentally Friendly Construction
Materials Recommendations (1)

• Adopt a life-cycle approach to improving
  environmental performance
• Life-cycle inventory based environmental data
  schemes (LEDCM) should become general practice
• CEN harmonisation of national LEDCM schemes

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TG 1 Environmentally Friendly Construction
Materials Recommendations (2)

• LEDCM will assist architects and specifiers in
  taking environmental impacts into account when
  designing construction works
• Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and not
  ECO-labels are appropriate for construction
  products
• Promote adoption of environmental audit schemes
  (ISO 14001 and EMAS)

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TG 2 New European Directive (226) Energy
Performance of Buildings

• Requirements as regards
• - common methodology  CO2 emission indicator 
• - minimum standards new as well as large
  existing buildings gt 1000 m2 subject to
  renovation

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TG 2 New European Directive (226) Energy
Performance of Buildings

• energy certificate (lt5 years old) of all
  buildings sold or rented out to be provided to
  any prospective buyer or tenant
• and to be displayed in all buildings open to the
  public
• regular inspections of boilers (gt10 kW) and a/c
  systems (gt12 kW)

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TG 3 Construction and Demolition Waste Management
Recommendations

• Waste prevention oriented planning and design
• Recovery oriented construction
• Develop codes of practice
• Give preference to recyclable primary materials
  and products
• Agree and adopt acceptable KPIs to benchmark
  performance

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SPECIFIC CONSIDERATIONS AS CONCERNS CONSTRUCTION
MATERIALS AND PRODUCTS
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Principle Construction Materials 1995
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Components of life cycle energy use, annualised
over a 60 year building life (per m2 of floor
area).
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Components of life cycle carbon dioxide
production as a by-product of energy use.
Annualised over a 60 year building life (per m2
of floor area).
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Environmental Information on Construction
Products (EICP)

• EICP is a voluntary, industry based initiative
  for providing transparent, accurate and reliable
  information on construction products

Expert Workshop on LCA for Construction Products,
20 June 2002 CEPMC
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EICP provides transparent, accurate and reliable
information for

• the optimal eco-design of new products
• the improvement of existing products

• AND

Expert Workshop on LCA for Construction Products,
20 June 2002 CEPMC
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EICP provides transparent, accurate and reliable
information for

• - assisting architects, specifiers, contractors,
  purchasers in their choice of products (for a
  specific application) and in the eco-efficient
  and safe design, use and maintenance of
  construction works
• - assisting contractors and recycling companies
  in the environmentally friendly recovery (or safe
  disposal) of waste materials from end-of-life
  construction works

Expert Workshop on LCA for Construction Products,
20 June 2002 CEPMC
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EICPA level playing field for suppliers

• Most national schemes are based on ISO TR 14025,
  Type III Environmental Declarations Guiding
  Principles and Procedures
• Within a single (national) scheme there is a
  recognised, uniform methodology and presentation
  format for all construction products
• Avoidance of  eco-marketing  wars

Expert Workshop on LCA for Construction Products,
20 June 2002 CEPMC
32
EICP vs Eco-labels

• Eco-labels
• Type 1 (ISO 14024)
• Pass/fail award scheme (with cut-off points set
  on what basis?)
• Suitable for end-consumer requiring quick
  non-detailed information
• Suitable for end-use products

• Environ. Declarations
• Type III (ISO TR 14025)
• Available for all products
• No comparison or weighting against other products
• Detailed information available for B2B
  purchasers/
• specifiers
• Suitable for materials/products components/to be
  incorporated into end-use product (e.g. a
  building)

Expert Workshop on LCA for Construction Products,
20 June 2002 CEPMC
33
EICP vs  preference lists 

• Increasing incidence of so-called  environmental
  experts  creating lists of recommended  green 
  products for use by public authorities
• Industry generated EICP based on accepted LC
  methodology constitutes a far better alternative

Expert Workshop on LCA for Construction Products,
20 June 2002 CEPMC
34
 Greening  of public procurement

• EC Communication on Public Procurement and the
  Environment
• - eco-labels/EMAS not mandatory but may be used
  as proof of compliance with certain environmental
  requirements
• Further legislation to make eco-labelling and
  EMAS as sole proof of compliance?
• With EICP eco-labelling is not necessary

Expert Workshop on LCA for Construction Products,
20 June 2002 CEPMC
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What directions should EICP take now?

• Standardisation of methodology (cf. AFNOR and
  ISO/TC59)
• Harmonisation of national and European EICP
  schemes
• Acceptance by both private and public procurement
  purchasers that EICP is more suited to their
  needs than eco-labelling

Expert Workshop on LCA for Construction Products,
20 June 2002 CEPMC
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New Study LCA tools and environmental aspects in
harmonised standards in construction

•  provide technical specification writers with
  specific information how and where to include
  environmental performance indicators and other
  key environmental aspects (e.g. release of
  dangerous substances) within the framework of
  European Technical Specifications for
  construction products of the CPD based on an IPP
  approach 

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New study (contd)

• Task 1 Short description of existing schemes
• Task 2 Comparison of existing schemes
• Task 3 Proposal for a scheme to provide
  environmental information

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Websites

• www.uneptie.org
• www.unglobalcompact.org
• www.globalreporting.org
• europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/construction/compet/
  compcon.htm

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WWW. FIEC.ORG