by Brianna Crandall — May 18, 2016 — A first-of-its-kind consortium in the green building industry recently convened 15 manufacturers and industry representatives from around the world to hear their needs for enhancing product transparency and stewardship through effective product category rules (PCRs), life cycle assessment reports (LCAs), environmental product declarations (EPDs), and next-generation product transparency solutions including Sustainable Minds Transparency Reports.
The manufacturer’s roundtable was held in conjunction with an ASTM International conference attended by top technical experts in sustainability, building performance, and several other industries.
Tim Brooke, vice president, ASTM International, said:
What we heard today was that as the demand for environmental stewardship across the green building industry increases, the need for consistent, standardized, and scalable solutions grows in tandem. That’s exactly what our four organizations are aiming to address as we communicate and deliver the value of voluntary product stewardship.
In addition to ASTM, the Program Operator Consortium includes NSF International, ICC Evaluation Service, and Sustainable Minds. The group launched in 2015 to serve as an expert resource and advocate for creating PCRs, for reviewing LCAs, and for verifying and publishing environmental declarations.
During the roundtable, the consortium announced that its four members have aligned how they develop PCRs and declarations, giving greater flexibility and visibility for manufacturers and decision-makers who are tasked with finding, comparing, and selecting products for projects.
The consortium plans to launch www.programoperators.org, where manufacturers, design professionals, specifiers and others can learn about product transparency, the consortium’s approach, and industry educational events.
