One Click LCA, the leading sustainability software platform, releases critical updates to meet new RICS whole-life carbon 2nd edition requirements

London, United Kingdom (27th June, 2024)  One Click LCA, the world-leading construction software for improving sustainability in construction, today announces critical software updates that will enable sustainability professionals across the construction industry to align with the new RICS whole-life carbon assessment professional standard, 2nd edition.

As a Greater London Authority and BREEAM-approved tool for nationally recognised assessment methodologies, this One Click LCA software and compliance update is a critical modification that supports all construction professionals working with the RICS standard and reinforces One Click LCA’s position as the world-leading tool for life-cycle assessments.  

The new RICS standard is an important step in tackling carbon emissions from buildings. According to the World Green Building Council, International Energy Agency, and One Click LCA data, 57% of global carbon emissions are caused by buildings and infrastructure. Furthermore, embodied carbon will be responsible for half of the entire carbon footprint of new construction between now and 2050, meaning the construction industry needs to adopt means to reduce carbon life-cycle emissions.

To support users working with the revised RICS standard, One Click LCA has implemented significant updates to the existing tool, including: 

• Decarbonised and non-decarbonised results for materials and operational impacts. 
• Default scenarios, according to RICS, for life cycle stages A5, B2, B3, and end-of-life. 
• RICS categories updated to match the NRM3. 
• New input page for pre-construction inputs affecting A0 and A5.1 stages. 
• New transportation profiles account for a proportion of return trip impacts. 
• B2 and B3 scenarios enabled. 
• Added worker transportation inputs. 
• Scenarios added for Pre-construction demolition (A5.1), Construction site works (A5.2), Demolition/deconstruction stage (C1). 
• New sub-categories for various LCA stages (A5, B1, B7) to align with the reporting requirements. 
• Contingency and uncertainty factors. 
• Automated report generation. 

The updated RICS standard addresses the immediate needs of the industry and positions RICS as a leading framework for achieving sustainable and net-zero goals across the built and natural environments. The 2nd edition extends the existing RICS WLCA standard to cover all buildings and infrastructure throughout the built environment life cycle. This gives visibility to embodied carbon, operational carbon, and user carbon — which are vital to carbon calculations and a unique feature of the RICS standard. 

“We help architects, developers, and other players in the construction value chain decarbonise their projects. As the software of choice for construction professionals, we needed to ensure we enabled the industry to align easily with the new RICS standard coming into effect in July 2024. Our existing users will have immediate access to the new functionality, and those considering One Click LCA for their construction projects can be confident that we work closely with the industry standard-setters to maintain our position as the world leader in construction and manufacturing decarbonisation,” says Johanna Jarvinen, New Products Lead at One Click LCA. 

Media inquiries:  

Laura Drury, Sustainability Communications, UK and Ireland 

One Click LCA  

Email: laura.drury@oneclicklca.com 

About One Click LCA 

One Click LCA is the world’s leading end-to-end sustainability software platform for construction and related manufacturing — with easy-to-use, automated life-cycle assessment and environmental product declaration solutions, among others. Used in 170+ countries, including blue-chip enterprises such as Skanska, AECOM, WSP, Foster+Partners, LafargeHolcim and Saint Gobain. One Click LCA’s software helps you comply with 80+ global standards, integrate with 20+ BIM and other softwares, and access the largest global building materials database of 250,000+ LCA datasets. One Click LCA is powering the makers of a zero-carbon future by making projects and products more sustainable.  

About RICS

Founded in London in 1868, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is a global professional body setting the highest international standards for over 130,000 members across more than 140 countries operating in developing and managing land, real estate, construction, and infrastructure.