by Shane Henson — September 17, 2012—A new white paper published by UL Environment, a business unit of Underwriters Laboratories, explores current and projected trends in green product certifications, building programs, and construction codes, underscoring the value both of transparency and performance-based metrics in sustainability leadership.
Through the recently released paper, Driving Performance and Transparency in Green Building Products and Materials, facilities managers can gain a better understanding of the tools, such as sustainable product certifications, lifecycle analyses, and environmental product declarations, that can be used for evaluating and selecting environmentally preferable products.
Highlights of the paper include:
- Research to support projected increases in green construction through 2016;
- Predictions of the influence of green building programs–with special attention to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Material Disclosure and Assessment Credit–on third-party certified products; and
- Listing of benefits for manufacturers of pairing certified environmental performance with third-party certified environmental lifecycle impact disclosure.