What you need to know about the new RICS WLCA standard
On July 1, 2024, RICS new whole life carbon assessment standard will come into effect, bringing in updated guidance that will help designers and developers hone their strategies to create beautiful, yet sustainable buildings. With the built environment responsible for almost 40% of global carbon emissions according to the UN, the time for action is now.
Improved quality, consistency and accuracy
A whole life carbon assessment (WLCA) considers the environmental impact a building will have from construction to end-of-life and includes both embodied and operational carbon emissions. The updated RICS guidance provides an in-depth and consistent methodology to produce accurate and crucially, comparable, data for the UK construction industry and beyond, with the standard specifically designed for global adaptation.
For example, the new standard recommends the adoption of core principles, including the integration of technology such as building information modelling (BIM), into assessments. But it’s not just about new technology – the new WLCA standard aims to simplify and improve all areas of the assessment process, and here are five key changes that everyone needs to know.
1. Better data representation
Improved guidance means improved clarity of data from the start. The new WLCA standard takes a granular approach to providing guidance on what data should be recorded at each stage of the project, as well as the level of detail required to represent the design as accurately as possible. Better data can flag potential issues before they become problems, ensuring that the right conversations happen with the right people at the right time as the project progresses.
2. An end to uncertainty
In assessments there is always plenty of uncertainty – particularly in the early design stages. The updated guidance provides precise details that will help assessors to add contingencies and allowances where information might be initially missing or less granular – ensuring a complete and realistic assessment from stage one. As the information is added in and the design develops, it becomes easier to see the change in carbon through each decision, due to the more representative results calculated at project start.
3. Improved carbon management
By increasing the accuracy of data when modelling a design from the earliest stages, you can effectively track the carbon as the design evolves against a representative target. This means that interventions, such as trialling different building systems or materials, can be made earlier in the process. Accurate carbon management at each stage can also include cost, programme and procurement implications of opportunities to aid decision making, project team alignment and lower risk.
4. Bringing the old and new together
The strategy to retain and refurbish existing assets has become more favoured to accelerate circularity. Whilst utilising an existing building reduces upfront carbon, it is crucial to include the refurbishment and replacement of these elements over the building’s whole life alongside any new material that is installed. Where previously reporting on refurbishments, including demolition, was done separately, the new guidance brings both new and old under one holistic approach. With clear instructions as to how demolition, temporary works or enabling works should be reported, the new guidance allows for greater transparency and comparability when tracking carbon targets and associated benchmarks.
5. Decarbonisation Acceleration
The industry has been improving its ability to assess operational carbon since 2004 with CIBSE and Part L in 2006, however, the assessment of material or embodied carbon has been slower to progress. The updated WLCA standard states that non-decarbonised and decarbonised scenarios need to be reported for both material and operational emissions. This is important as it further challenges project teams to explore products that incorporate decarbonisation processes in their manufacture and transport.
Facing the future
While the updated standard is comprehensive, there are still challenges ahead, for example, examining the impact of biogenic carbon – or carbon stored in natural materials such as timber – particularly when it comes to end-of-life. Other areas of innovation include digital solutions such as ‘material passports’ in which a QR code provides information on a product’s source, materials and end-of-life requirements. These passports could create a step-change and accelerate the way to a circular economy with every material optimised, maximised and ultimately re-used.
The updated guidance provides clarity and consistency on a variety of issues, as well as a range of ‘musts’ that the industry needs to integrate into their processes now. Designers, developers and clients should take advantage of the coming months to test strategies, implement technology and understand the new guidance, ensuring that they are prepared to move forward with confidence on July 1.
For more information on the updated RICS guidance and to explore our services, please contact:
Archanna Arunathevan, Senior Sustainability Consultant