About Green Book Live
Green Book Live is the definitive source of information for the construction industry and enables specifiers, designers and end users to manage the environmental impact of the projects on which they work.
Construction plays a significant and beneficial role in the UK's economy. It contributes around 10% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and employs approximately 3 million people in 350,000 firms1, however the industry currently has a major impact on the environment. It consumes 420 million tonnes of construction products per year2 and produces in the region of 150 million tonnes of material waste3, around 45% of the total waste produced in the UK.
Our homes account for 27% of the total UK CO2 emissions, and 52% of total UK energy consumption is directly attributable to buildings. Manufacture and transport of building materials accounts for another 10%4. Making changes to the materials, products and production processes used in the construction industry could significantly reduce their impact on the environment. Areas of importance include the extraction of raw materials, material waste, transport of products and materials, energy consumption, heat loss and emissions from manufacturing processes and buildings.
Greening the built environment is not as simple as specifying products and services that claim to be ‘green'. Green claims are very easy to make, but considerably harder to substantiate. Independent approval of products and services ensure that not only ‘green’ claims are substantiated , but that they meet performance standards appropriate for their intended use.
Green Book Live is a resource to help specifiers, designers and end users identify and locate products and services that may reduce the environmental impact of the built environment at all stages. A wide range of products and services, from commercial building products and services to domestic energy efficiency products can be found within Green Book Live.
Green Book Live brings together listings from a number of organisations and delivers comprehensive information on 'green' products and services, some approved to stringent environmental requirements and others based on information provided by manufacturers and trade bodies. The introductions to each section explain what (if any) approval processes have been applied in order for the products or services to be listed.
It is strongly recommended that where possible, specifiers select on the basis of an independent third party approval or ensure that they communicate directly with manufacturers and suppliers to verify claims relating to performance and/or environmental benefit.
A sister volume RedBooklive.com lists products and services which have been approved to relevant performance standards.
1 The Social and Economic Value of Construction, Prof. David Pearce OBE, nCRISP 2003
2 DEFRA, 2003
3 Construction Industry Mass Balance: Resource Use, Waste & Emissions, Viridis 2002
4 Environment Agency, 2005
Business particulars:
- The Green Book is a product of BRE Global Ltd, registered in England and Wales, number 3548352.
- Registered address: Bucknalls Lane, Garston, Watford WD25 9XX
- VAT registration number GB 689 9499 27.
- BRE Global Ltd is owned by the BRE Trust.
