Material Transparency
Material transparency allows building professionals to research hidden product impacts like embodied carbon, toxic ingredients or byproducts, and social responsibility in the supply chain.
Manufacturers may release many types of documents in order to facilitate transparency. These include:
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Environmental product declarations (EPDs), which show the environmental impacts of producing and disposing of a product
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Health product declarations (HPDs), which disclose ingredients and their toxicity profiles
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Corporate sustainability reports, which look at the overall environmental impacts of a whole company
Material Transparency
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
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Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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USGBC, Chemical Industry Reach Historic Compromise on Product Optimization
News Analysis
Option 3 of the LEED v4 Material Ingredients credit rewards manufacturers for chemical management up the supply chain.
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Vinyl Group Launches Reporting Label for Toxic Chemicals
News Analysis
Flooring manufacturers and their Product Transparency Declaration (PTD) will compete with the Health Product Declaration (HPD) format for industry acceptance.
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Can Products Do More Good Than Harm? The Living Product Challenge
News Analysis
ILFI is challenging companies to make a product with a positive “handprint” rather than a “footprint.” And it has to be affordable.
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Cladding Industry Agrees to One Rulebook for Conducting LCAs
News Brief
One set of rules, called PCRs, now governs environmental reporting for all cladding products, regardless of whether they are wood, vinyl, or metal.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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