Understanding the changes in RICS WLCA 2nd edition

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) will implement an updated professional standard, effective from July 1, 2024. The 2nd edition whole-life carbon assessment (WLCA) professional standard provides an updated methodology with the aim of equipping AEC sustainability professionals to make informed decisions about how to mitigate whole-life carbon impact of buildings and infrastructure.

The RICS 2nd edition whole-life carbon assessment professional standard will apply a comprehensive approach to the entire life-cycle of constructed assets, from material production to design, construction, and eventual end-of-life considerations. This framework aligns with the UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard (NZCBS) and will be integral in evaluating net-zero carbon performance for buildings, with data submitted to the Built Environment Carbon Database (BECD).

Understanding the changes in RICS whole-life carbon assessment 2nd edition

RICS whole-life carbon assessment 2nd edition standard is an update to the 2017 release, a framework designed to measure carbon emissions from the production of construction materials to the eventual end-of-life of built assets.

Key Changes in the RICS 2nd edition:

• Standardises whole-life carbon assessment across asset life cycles, extending to both buildings and infrastructure.
• Aligns with International Cost Management Standards (ICMS) 3rd edition and Built Environment Carbon Database (BECD).
• Incorporates industry-agreed definitions, introduces mandatory contingency allowances, and offers detailed data sources and conversion factors.
• Provides an enhanced understanding of the carbon costs and benefits of design choices, developed in collaboration with the UK’s Department for Transport and Zero Waste Scotland.

New Reporting Stages Introduced:

• A0 (Pre-construction stage): Typically reported for infrastructure projects, covering activities like surveys and actions associated with design.
• B8: Covers user activities not included elsewhere, such as emissions from vehicles and commuting impacts during the in-use stage.
• D1 and D2: Address potential carbon loads and benefits beyond system boundaries from reuse, recycling, energy recovery, or landfilling of materials.

How will the new standard impact sustainability in the built environment?

Contractors and developers adopting whole-life carbon assessments can align with future Government regulations and client demands for embodied carbon measurement, supporting sustainable and low-carbon building and infrastructure investments. The RICS whole-life carbon assessment 2nd edition facilitates a consistent reporting approach, providing decision-makers with a long-term view of both cost and carbon throughout an asset’s life cycle.

The RICS 2nd edition is anticipated to influence nations worldwide to incorporate its methodologies into regulatory structures.

Aligning with RICS whole-life carbon assessment 2nd edition with One Click LCA

One Click LCA has released a series of updates to the RICS whole-life carbon assessment functionality, to support organisations aligning to the new standard. Reflecting the changes in the 2nd edition methodology, the One Click LCA software ensures compliance with RICS reporting requirements, from concept and design to post-completion.

Some of the key features:

• Incorporates new end-of-life scenarios complying with RICS scenarios.
• Provides non-decarbonised and decarbonised results in one go.
• Includes transportation profiles with embedded return trips.

One Click LCA’s automated report generation streamlines the process, making it easy for industry professionals to navigate the complexities of the new RICS standard. It will enable optimised, low-carbon impact building projects with access to compliance features.

The integration of generic data specific to RICS 2nd edition in Carbon Designer 3D allows for the creation of early baseline designs with just a few clicks. One Click LCA's commitment to providing the latest data aligns with the evolving standards, making it a valuable asset for the approximately 80% of RICS members comprising SMEs.