Requirements for an LCA-based model for the evaluation of the environmental quality of building products

There is a growing concern about the concept of environmental quality (EQ) in the building product industry. A classification of existing EQ models is presented, as well as a discussion of the underlying assumptions of Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) and the significance of the results. It is proposed that some modifications to the classic LCA model are necessary to take into account the characteristics of building products and their associated actors. Some of these modifications can be achieved through simple extensions within the existing framework, others call for specific developments of the framework. A list of requirements is presented for building product specific EQ evaluation and improvement methodologies based on LCA.