Environmental assessment of bio-based building materials

This chapter introduces the environmental assessment methods used to understand the environmental impact of bio-based materials. It highlights the current and future environmental requirement products need to meet in the built environment. Typically, this is based around life cycle assessment (LCA) techniques, and specifically of interest to bio-based products is how stored carbon is accounted for in assessment of the products. It then explains how this fits with models such as the circular economy and the low-carbon economy as the construction industry tackles its substantial contribution to climate change. The final section of the chapter highlights the measurement and certification schemes that exist including eco-labels and environmental product declarations and the whole building assessment schemes used internationally.