Institute for Building and Environment
The Institut Bauen und Umwelt eV (IBU) is a German association that operates a program for issuing type III environmental declarations in accordance with ISO 14025 and EN 15804 ( Environmental Product Declaration , EPD for short) for building materials . EPDs form the data basis for building certification systems such as the DGNB certification system of the German Sustainable Building Council or the Sustainable Building Assessment System for Federal Buildings (BNB) of the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development (BMVBS). The IBU is the only publicly recognized program operator in Germany that creates and publishes EPDs for the construction sector across all sectors.
General
History of the IBU
The institute emerged in 2007 from the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Umweltverträgliches Bauprodukt eV (AUB).
Members
Its members include product manufacturers and manufacturers' associations of all material and material areas from Germany and abroad. As of February 2015, 160 full members are registered.
Mission statement
As a result of their manufacture, construction, use and disposal, buildings and structures cause approx. 30% of the energy and material flows as well as the effects on the environment (as of 2009). In connection with the implementation of the principles of sustainable development, the construction industry is therefore of central importance in terms of resource conservation and environmental relief. Controlling and influencing the life cycle of buildings is thus becoming a central concern of the sustainable design of the built environment.
In order to achieve comparison of variants and the resulting life cycle-oriented optimization of buildings, reliable and comparable information about the individual components and parts of a building is necessary. The Institut Bauen und Umwelt eV provides this information in the form of independently tested EPDs that comply with international standards. With this in mind, the IBU promotes sustainability and sustainable development in the construction sector, particularly from the point of view of environmental and health compatibility of construction products and components.
organs
The organs of the association are:
- the entire board
- the general assembly
Full board
The entire board consists of:
- the inner board
- the 3 to 7 assessors
The board acts impartially. He has to treat the business and operational processes of the members that come to his knowledge confidentially.
The inner board is the board in the sense of § 26 BGB. It consists of two members. The executive committee, together with the assessors, is responsible for managing the association and deciding on fundamental questions, unless the general assembly is called upon to do so in accordance with the IBU statutes.
General meeting
The general assemblies are called by the management and / or the inner committee and chaired by the inner committee. The general assembly meets at least once a year (ordinary general assembly).
The Expert Council (SVR)
The members of the Expert Council come from science, the BMU , the Federal Environment Agency and from testing institutes.
The Expert Council
- is factually and technically independent.
- has the right to propose the removal and appointment of SVR members.
- elects a chairman from among its own ranks.
The SVR acts as an independent third party. It checks the results of the product group forum (see below methodology of EPD creation) and acts as a neutral authority in the event of conflicts of interest.
When examining the Product Category Rules (PCR), he primarily ensures their completeness with regard to the most significant environmental impacts of the respective product group. Consistency between product groups and the integration of different stakeholders are other aspects of the assessment.
As soon as environmental product declarations are available on the basis of existing PCR documents, they are checked for completeness, plausibility and compliance with all data quality requirements. The check is carried out by independent verifiers appointed by the SVR.
president
The president represents the association. He is elected for two years by the general assembly.
Purpose and tasks of the association
- The creation of environmental product declarations according to ISO 14025 and EN 15804: Type III, which are based on the relevant international technical rules. The focus is on testing and declaring the environmental and health compatibility of products and components in accordance with legal requirements. The symbol of the Institut Bauen und Umwelt is awarded to confirm that the environmental product declaration has been carried out and that the inspection by the expert council has been passed.
- Informing the general public and members about major developments that affect sustainable building, in particular the environmental and health compatibility of building products and components.
- Implementation, accompaniment or support of public events that deal with the topics of sustainability, and in particular the aspects of environmental and health compatibility in connection with building products, components and structures.
- Stimulation and support as well as publication of research work, studies and surveys.
Methodology of EPD creation
IBU environmental product declarations are drawn up in a three-stage process, in which different actors are involved. The aim of this procedure is to ensure a high degree of transparency through the participation of an independent committee of experts and the public.
- In the first step, a draft for a PCR (Product Category Rules) document is created in a product group forum made up of experts and manufacturers and moderated by the IBU. The product group is defined and the characteristic environmental effects are identified. The procedure for quantifying these environmental impacts and the evidence to be provided are given to future applicants. At the same time as the draft is being drawn up, the Building and Environment Institute will inform the public about the new product group forum so that suggestions from other interested parties can flow into the draft phase. The PCR draft is checked by an expert committee for consistency between the product groups and completeness of the requirements for the manufacturers. In addition, the draft (again moderated by the institute) will be discussed in a forum with planners, property developers, authorities and other interested parties. Criticism from third parties is implemented through improvements to the design. If a PCR document already exists for the corresponding product group when the application is submitted, this step is not necessary.
- In the second step, the actual declaration is created. For this purpose, all information required in the PCR document is made available by the manufacturer and evidence of tests carried out is provided. Test procedures and life cycle assessment methodology are uniformly regulated in the PCR document.
- In the third step, the declaration is checked. The IBU organizes the checking of the individual declarations by independent third parties - the verifiers. This individual check ensures the objectivity and quality of the declaration process. The program holder, Institut Bauen und Umwelt, has no influence on the confirmation of the declaration, but only publishes the declarations that have been approved by the verifiers.
Summary of the environmental declaration type III (EPD)
EPDs
- are aimed at trade, commerce and consumers.
- are based on an ecological balance.
- provide extensive quantitative and verified information.
- represent environmental impacts without evaluating.
- are suitable for all products and services.
- enable data aggregation along a value chain.
- require independent third-party verification.
- can be used and requested for tendering and awarding.
Product-related standards
Nationally and internationally there are a large number of standards relating to the declaration of products. They belong to the ISO 14000 series of standards.
Series of standards DIN 14020
Provides instructions on environmental labeling and environmental declarations
ISO 14040 series of standards
Provides instructions for the preparation of life cycle assessments.
Technical report DIN FB ISO / TR 14062
Provides concepts for including environmental aspects in product development.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development (BMVBS): Guide to Sustainable Building. ( Memento of the original from May 12, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Berlin 2011.
- ↑ Holger König, Nikolaus Köhler, Johannes Kreißig, Thomas Lützkendorf: Life cycle analysis in building planning. Detail Verlag, Munich 2009, ISBN 978-3-920034-30-0 , p. 6.
- ^ IBU statutes, June 7, 2011.
- ↑ a b Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Federal Association of German Industry eV, Federal Environment Agency: Environmental information for products and services. Berlin, March 2008.
