LCA in the Framework of Next Generation Estonian Building Standard : Building Certification as a Strategy for Enhancing Sustainability

Abstract

Optimizing environmental impacts of buildings, such as energy consumption, CO2 emissions, water and material use, is a must nowadays. Building certification and standards serve as an opportunity to regulate such subjects. In this thesis, I investigate how the implementation of a new building quality standard in Estonia improves the sustainability of buildings by looking into the quantifiable environmental impacts of a construction. I use the Life Cycle Assessment methodology to evaluate building certification schemes used within the new standard. The goal is to demonstrate if and how the Standard for Quality and Sustainable Real Estate Lifecycle stands for its name and addresses the life cycle impacts of a construction. This thesis could serve as an illustrative example for the future users of the new building quality standard to better understand the aspects of its functioning and differences between certification schemes used within the standard. Furthermore, my results and suggestions can help to overlook requirements of the standard to refine them for a greater sustainability enhancement of the future buildings in Estonia.