Abstract
This paper reports on the recent trend in the use of quantified environmental information on the life cycle of buildings. In Japan, the use of the EcoLeaf Environmental Labeling and the Carbon Footprint of Products（CFP）Program to disclose the quantified environmental information on building materials is growing. The CFP declarations for a number of buildings are also already made, and this is expected to promote the development of lower-carbon materials and more efficient construction methods through the assessment of all the life cycle stages other than of the use stage alone. Quantified environmental information is actively used in policymaking abroad. The latest version of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design（LEED）, a scheme developed in the USA to assess the environmental performance of buildings, uses Environmental Product Declarations（EPDs）to assess building materials. The Construction Products Regulation（CPR）in Europe recommends the use of EPDs to assess the sustainable use of construction materials and the impact of construction works on the environment. In Europe and the USA, the number of construction companies utilizing supplier EPDs to implement eco-design is growing and this trend appears to be influencing the international standardization. According to the results of a questionnaire survey for building practitioners in Japan, approximately 70% of the practitioners found the topic interesting. This indicates the current assessment methods and the lack of take-up are some of the major issues in the construction sector in Japan.
