Implementation of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in the Procurement Process of Buildings: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

The construction industry adds a high share to global CO2 emissions and, thus, to the global climate crisis. Future buildings need to be planned, constructed, operated, and deconstructed in a lifecycle-oriented manner so that the building stock represents a capital asset for future generations. The greatest leverages for reducing a building’s CO2 emissions lie in the early project phase and subsequently in the tendering and awarding process, which makes early Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) indispensable. In this study, we set a sociological research framework consisting of (i) choosing a research topic, (ii) conducting a literature review, (iii) measuring variables and gathering data, (iv) analyzing data, and (v) drawing a conclusion. Since there are countless studies that apply LCA in the construction sector for environmental assessment, emission reduction, or decision support, we posed the question of whether LCA was also applied in the public building tendering and awarding process. Furthermore, we focused on identifying obstacles to LCA implementation in this early project phase. Therefore, we applied the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and conducted a Systematic Literature Review (SLR). The results show that numerous articles focused on sustainable tendering or green public procurement in the construction industry; however, the LCA method is scarcely used in the procurement processes (19 articles in the final sample). Based on our findings, the main obstacles to LCA implementation in the procurement process are highlighted in the study. In the future, the mandatory integration of LCA into the procurement process will be crucial to reduce the CO2 emissions generated by the construction industry and thus contribute to the EU climate target plan to ensure carbon neutrality by 2050.

Transition of the procurement process to Paris-compatible buildings: consideration of environmental life cycle costing in tendering and awarding

“…Moreover, the literature identified obstacles to its implementation. These obstacles were classified into five categories, (i) methodological obstacles, (ii) organizational obstacles, (iii) economic obstacles, (iv) legal obstacles, and (v) political obstacles, in a review article on LCA implementation in procurement of buildings (Scherz et al 2022a).…”

“…Moreover, the literature identified obstacles to its implementation. These obstacles were classified into five categories, (i) methodological obstacles, (ii) organizational obstacles, (iii) economic obstacles, (iv) legal obstacles, and (v) political obstacles, in a review article on LCA implementation in procurement of buildings (Scherz et al 2022a). In the current schemes, initiatives to reduce GHG emissions (which might include additional construction cost) are not supported nor encouraged, and there is scarce literature on a possible inclusion of LCA and eLCC in the procurement process of buildings.…”

Current Status and Future Directions of Building Information Modeling for Low-Carbon Buildings

“…The LCA model of a building is able to obtain information from BIM, such as materials and activities [83]. The potential of BIM to establish a life-cycle inventory for LCA has been highlighted in several studies [55,84,85]. There are three different BIM and LCA integration strategies.…”

Sustainability Assessment of Cementitious Ceramic Tile Adhesives

“…According to the CPR, construction works must be designed, constructed, and dismantled in such a way that the use of natural resources is sustainable and ensures their re-use or recycling, the construction works are durable, and environmentally friendly raw materials and recycled materials are used in their construction [6]. Despite the importance of environmental assessment of construction products [7], positive political trends [8,9], and the need to protect the environment, environmental impact assessment is still not mandatory in the AVCP process [6]. It is common to expect that environmental assessment should be required, and such expectations are powerfully articulated by the scientific community [10].…”