“Our standard looks at horizontal and vertical projects. Assessors must follow mandatory requirements. Our members doing whole-life carbon assessments anywhere in the world are required to meet these mandatory requirements.”
- Anil Sawhney, Head of Sustainability at RICS
At its core, RICS V2 is a technical methodology covering both buildings and infrastructure. It sets out how to measure embodied, operational, biogenic, and end-of-life carbon. The framework is integrated with the International Cost Management Standard (ICMS 3), allowing professionals to consider cost and carbon in tandem.
This integration is not trivial. Decisions on carbon reduction need to be financially viable. The combined taxonomy ensures practitioners can link life-cycle costs directly with emissions data, creating a stronger basis for decision-making.
The standard has gained traction quickly. RICS reports over 42,000 downloads of the standard and resources, with uptake in markets including the UK, India, Australia, the US, and Ireland. Major projects, such as Transport for New South Wales’ $72.3 billion infrastructure pipeline and Expo City Dubai, have adopted the framework.
“Since 2023, we have had quite a bit of success in the utilisation of our standard. By using the WLCA standard, assessors can estimate the amount of carbon emitted over the life-cycle stages, and deliver against both government and client demands.”
- Anil Sawhney, Head of Sustainability at RICS
A key challenge for practitioners is ensuring that assessments align precisely with the RICS V2 standard. To mitigate the risk of inaccurate WLCA assessments, the RICS WLCA software validation program was implemented.
As the first software validated under the scheme, One Click LCA gives users confidence that outputs stringently meet RICS V2 requirements.
“Our job at One Click LCA is to make the guidelines usable for customers so they can go through these as easily as possible. We integrated the standard, did the verification, and are supporting customers every day, so they can generate RICS V2 compliant reports from the software with confidence.”
- Steven Zijlstra, Product Marketing Manager at One Click LCA
To date, over 5,000 projects have been completed using One Click LCA under the RICS V2 standard. Customers are using it not only for compliance but also for competitive advantage, such as winning public tenders that specify alignment with RICS.
Despite significant progress, hurdles remain:
“In terms of misconceptions, some of the things that we have heard are that it’s only applicable to buildings — that’s not true. The standard applies to buildings AND infrastructure. In fact, with the integration with ICMS that becomes very easy or important to consider infrastructure projects also. I think the second misconception is that it’s a UK standard. No, it’s a global standard. Obviously, it’s such a vast topic that some of the examples come from the UK, but the principles, the methodology, the process of assessment is globally applicable.”
- Anil Sawhney, Head of Sustainability at RICS
From the perspective of One Click LCA as a software provider, operational data, end-of-life modelling, and reporting complexity are recurring challenges voiced by One Click LCA users. However, software is helping to simplify workflows:
“We try to automate a lot of these calculations… and give anybody who does the LCA assessment the confidence that whatever they get out of the software will stand up in tenders, audits, or strategy work.”
- Steven Zijlstra, Product Marketing Manager at One Click LCA
Looking ahead, RICS is focusing on harmonisation and alignment, including the upcoming CLEAR initiative (Coalition for Life Cycle Emissions Alignment and Reporting), which aims to make WLCA comparable across geographies. AI is also beginning to play a role, for example, in parsing EPDs from regions with poor data coverage.
The long-term ambition is to reduce fragmentation and accelerate adoption globally.
For architects, engineers, contractors, and consultants, three clear messages emerge:
“It’s best to use tools that are purpose-built for our standard and for conducting WLCAs.”
- Anil Sawhney, Head of Sustainability at RICS
What is RICS V2?
RICS V2 is the second edition of the RICS whole-life carbon assessment standard. It provides a globally applicable methodology for assessing carbon impacts of both buildings and infrastructure.
When did RICS V2 become mandatory?
The standard became mandatory for RICS members on 1 July 2024.
Does RICS V2 apply only in the UK?
No. It is a global standard, designed to be applied anywhere.
Does it cover infrastructure as well as buildings?
Yes. RICS V2 applies to both vertical (buildings) and horizontal (infrastructure) assets.
What role does software play?
Validated software, such as One Click LCA, ensures consistent application of the standard and allows users to generate compliant reports efficiently.
What are the biggest challenges today?
Data availability (especially EPDs), practitioner skills, and managing reporting complexity are the key challenges identified by both RICS and One Click LCA.
What’s next for RICS V2?
RICS is focusing on harmonisation across geographies, improving data accessibility, and incorporating AI-driven approaches for data parsing and uncertainty management.
How does RICS V2 treat construction stage emissions (Module A5)?
RICS V2 provides benchmark scenarios for A5 emissions. Users can either adopt the benchmark allowance or build detailed on-site emissions databases. However, you cannot mix benchmarks and detailed calculations within the same module.
What about benchmarks and scenarios more broadly?
The standard allows the use of scenarios when data is missing. One Click LCA has integrated the official RICS scenarios and also offers its own benchmarks, such as Carbon Heroes. More refined benchmarking is expected in future updates.
Why was uncertainty reporting simplified in version 2?
RICS streamlined uncertainty reporting to reduce unnecessary complexity. The intent is to keep reporting practical without undermining data quality.
Does RICS V2 support dynamic LCA?
No. The standard continues to use static LCA. Dynamic LCA is currently only used in a few national frameworks, such as France’s RE2020.
Will RICS create its own benchmarks from project data?
Yes, but carefully. The Built Environment Carbon Database (BECD) collects anonymised assessment data, which may form the basis of benchmarks in the future. However, data privacy and quality are major considerations.
Does the standard cover operational carbon as well as embodied carbon?
Yes. RICS V2 is comprehensive. It covers embodied, biogenic, operational, and user carbon, as well as end-of-life stages.
Will the scope of assessment make WLCA too time-consuming or costly?
While scope has increased, digital workflows and validated tools offset the extra effort.
Is there training available?
Yes. RICS offers a three-part introductory web class (about 4.5 hours) and an 11-month certificate program (140 CPD hours). One Click LCA also offers shorter training through its Academy, including free one-week modules.
How does RICS V2 interact with regulations such as Part Z in the UK?
RICS is actively engaged with the Part Z initiative. As guidance develops, validated tools will be updated to ensure compliance.
What about MEP supplementary tables — will they be updated?
Feedback has been received that current MEP tables are too vague. Updates may come in a future version of the standard, but no firm commitment has yet been made.
How can practitioners contact RICS for support?
Users can email standards@rics.org or access the WLCA hub at rics.org/wlca.