A Comparative Analysis of Green Construction Material Certification Systems

Due to the resource-intensive nature of infrastructure and buildings, the construction industry consumes a lot of resources, which have significant adverse effects on the environment, economy, and society. The choice of construction materials has a critical impact on a building's operating energy usage, related CO₂ emissions, and indoor air quality. It is commonly acknowledged that green construction materials (GCMs) could reduce the adverse effects while improving buildings’ performance. To encourage GCMs, distinct organizations and regions have established different green construction material certification (GCMC) systems. This study aimed to analyze the similarities and discrepancies in requirement categories and detailed requirements for specific materials among various GCMC systems. The findings show that resources, health, energy, and environment are shared interests of Cradle to Cradle Certified (C2CC), Mainland China, Hong Kong, India, and Singapore GCMC systems. C2CC highly values social justice. Both Mainland China and India GCMC particularly take into account the effectiveness or quality of the products. The grades for goods or materials in various GCMC systems are very variable. The requirements for ready-mixed concrete in Mainland China, Hong Kong, and India GCMC differ significantly. Hong Kong GCMC only considers the carbon footprint for ready-mixed concrete, while the other two systems focus on several attributes. The GCMC in India, as opposed to those in Hong Kong and Mainland China, has given credit points to the benchmark for each criterion. The findings can help regional or organizational decision-makers better comprehend the variations across different GCMC systems and enhance their GCMC system.