Life cycle assessment for buildings through the ages

Building today is characterised by a multitude of requirements, verifications and duties. While until recently static and physical requirements were set for buildings, requirements for limiting CO2 emissions or reducing embodied energy are more and more frequently being imposed, which play an increasingly important role in climate policy. With the introduction of the 1st Guideline for Sustainable Building in 2001, sustainable building became a royal discipline and was able to increase the value of a sustainable property through corresponding certificates for sustainability. Today, sustainability of buildings is increasingly regarded as a standard and will be demanded as such in the future through laws and/or regulations. This article will discuss in detail how the status of sustainable and above all ecological construction, how the quality of LCA data for building products as well as the assessment and balancing methodology for LCA have changed over the time.