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See below how Design Glass Solution by Saint-Gobain can contribute to BREEAM criteria: Life Cycle Impacts.
Key contribution
In line with its commitment to green building, Saint-Gobain is the only business in the glass sector to have performed Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) of its products, and provides a significant number of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) compliant with international standards, covering 20 product families and more than 200 glazing configurations.
Aim
To recognise and encourage the use of robust and appropriate life cycle assessment tools and consequently the specification of construction materials with a low environmental impact (including embodied carbon) over the full life cycle of the building.
Requirement summary
Reductions in the building’s environmental life cycle impacts through assessment of the main building elements. The number of credits awarded is function of the calculator point achieved. In addition, where a range of at least five products specified at Design Stage and installed by Post-Construction Stage are covered by verified EPD, 1 credit awarded.
Learn more about Life Cycle Impacts
Our contribution
Saint-Gobain is the first glass manufacturer in the world to have implemented a complete Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of its products, in compliance with international standards (ISO 14025, 14040 and 14044) and verified by an independent third party. The LCA analyses two major aspects:
- All stages of the life cycle of the product: from raw material extraction to the end-of-life stage, via manufacturing; and
- All environmental impacts generated by the product: CO2 emissions, energy consumption, water consumption, air pollution, etc.
The results of a Life Cycle Assessment are presented in the form of an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). Saint-Gobain provides a significant number of EPDs compliant with international standards, covering 20 product families and more than 200 glazing configurations.
These assessments help us to improve the environmental footprint of our products by reducing their impacts (on energy, water, raw material consumption, CO2 emissions, etc.) and by working on recycling our cullet. In addition, our eco-Innovation policy allows us to develop innovative products and solutions that minimize environmental impact from as early as the design stage.
