This publication has been withdrawn, however it is available to buy as a photocopy or downloadable pdf. A new publication with up-to-date information is in preparation. The titles listed below are available with the current information.

Creating environmental weightings for construction products - results of a study (BR 493) ISBN 978-1-86081-968-1

Environmental weightings - their use in the environmental assessment of construction products (IP 4/07) ISBN 978-1-86081-967-4

For construction to play its part in making society more sustainable, industry decision-makers must confront social, economic and environmental implications of sustainable construction. This Digest first describes the methodology and results of a study of the relative weightings of sustainability issues arising from buildings and construction. These are interim results but they provide a sound basis for analysing environmental effects and setting priorities for further action. In order to undertake consistent holistic analysis of the environment, it is useful for different impacts to be compared on a single scale or score (such as Ecopoints). A consensus view between all levels of decision-makers about the relative importance of different environmental issues is necessary for such a score to be calculated. The weightings determined by BRE can now be used for this purpose. Two examples of environmental analysis are described.