BS PD CEN/TR 17005:2016

BS PD CEN/TR 17005:2016 has been developed by CEN/TC 350/WG 1 and WG 3 to provide a clear andstructured view on the relevance, robustness and applicability of a predefined set of additional impactcategories and related indicators for the assessment of the environmental performance of constructionworks, construction products and building materials.The TR describes the evaluation criteria that are used to determine, for these impact categories, thesuitability of indicators and calculation method(s) for inclusion in the standards EN 15978 andEN 15804 (or other CEN/TC 350 standards as appropriate) in terms of their:

• relevance to:
  • the environment,
  • construction works,
  • construction products, and
  • EU policy;
• scientific robustness and certainty; and
• applicability of the impact assessment method(s).

The additional impact categories examined in the TR are:

• human toxicity and ecotoxicity;
• particulate matter;
• land use;
• biodiversity;
• water scarcity; and
• ionizing radiation.

Because EN 15978 and EN 15804 are founded on a life cycle approach, the impact categories, indicatorsand methods reviewed are predominantly based on their potential suitability for application in LCA. Inrelation to some of the areas of concern, however, where LCA methods might not be sufficiently robustor developed, some non-LCA based indicators and methods are also considered.Due to the scope of LCA used in the EN 15804 and EN 15978, impacts to users of buildings due to directexposure to harmful emissions fall outside the scope of this TR. This falls under the scope ofCEN/TC 351. Important information related to this aspect found during the development of this TR, ishowever mentioned in the TR.Uncertainty is an important issue in LCA. General assessment of the uncertainty related to impactassessment models is considered in the evaluation framework of this TR. However, the TR does not laydown a maximum uncertainty level to be considered acceptable in the context of the CEN standardsEN 15804 and EN 15978, nor does it provide exact figures on uncertainties.Annex A of the TR provides a description of options that may be considered for incorporating selectedimpact categories/indicator in the standards EN 15978 and EN 15804.Cross References:EN 15804:2012+A1:2013EN 15978:2011EN 15643-2:2011NF P01-010-2004ISO 14046:2014