Assessing environmental impact for sustainable development
A critical component of sustainable development is the assessment and reporting of environmental impacts. To support this goal, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has developed the ‘Whole Life Carbon Assessment (WLCA) Standard,’ now in its second edition. This rigorous framework standardises the full lifecycle carbon assessments—from raw material extraction to demolition—ensuring consistency and reliability.
“Greencore Homes have set themselves ambitious whole life carbon targets aligned with the RIBA 2030 trajectory, calculated using the RICS WLCA standard (2nd edition). With Madaster’s new feature we aim to calculate and report carbon according to the updated RICS methodology through a material passport. This will provide an invaluable data set for reporting on the embodied carbon performance of our homes in a robust and transparent way that is aligned with industry best practice.”
Ness Scott, Greencore Homes
The RICS WLCA Standard 2nd Edition
The RICS WLCA Standard provides a comprehensive method for assessing the whole life carbon emissions, or global warming potential, of buildings and infrastructure. Developed by RICS with input from industry leaders and experts, the standard defines the necessary rules for calculating whole life carbon (WLC) for developments. It enables assessors to forecast the carbon emissions of a constructed asset from its initial development stages through to its end of life, offering insights into embodied carbon, operational carbon, and user carbon.
How Madaster Can Support RICS WLCA Standard Reporting?
The Madaster platform now simplifies the complex process of completing a whole life carbon assessment. Users can opt to have their whole life carbon impacts calculated and reported in compliance with the updated RICS standard. The platform can then automatically generate and infill RICS WLCA reports, facilitating quick and easy fulfilment of RICS requirements.
For more information on how Madaster implements the RICS standard and allows for automatic report generation from BIM or Excel inputs, please visit our dedicated RICS functionality page or get in touch with us.
