Purpose

Currently, no clear guidance exists for ISO and EN standards of calculating, verifying, and reporting the climate impacts of plants, mulches, and soils used in landscape design and construction. In order to optimise the potential of ecosystem services in the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions in the built environment, we unequivocally propose their inclusion when assessing sustainability.

Methods

We analysed the life cycle phases of plants, soils, and mulches from the viewpoint of compiling standard-based Environmental Product Declarations. In comparison to other construction products, the differences of both mass and carbon flows were identified in these products.

Results

Living and organic products of green infrastructure require an LCA approach of their own. Most importantly, if conventional life cycle guidance for Environmental Product Declarations were to be followed, over time, the asymmetric mass and carbon flows would lead to skewed conclusions. Moreover, the ability of plants to reproduce raises additional questions for allocating environmental impacts.

Conclusions

We present a set of recommendations that are required for compiling Environmental Product Declarations for the studied products of green infrastructure. In order to enable the quantification of the climate change mitigation potential of these products, it is essential that work for further development of LCA guidance be mandated.

中文翻译：

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植物和土壤的环境产品声明：如何量化景观设计和施工中的碳吸收？

目的

目前，在计算、验证和报告景观设计和施工中使用的植物、覆盖物和土壤的气候影响方面，ISO 和 EN 标准没有明确的指导。为了优化生态系统服务在减少建筑环境中的温室气体排放方面的潜力，我们明确建议在评估可持续性时将其包括在内。

方法

我们从编制基于标准的环境产品声明的角度分析了植物、土壤和覆盖物的生命周期阶段。与其他建筑产品相比，在这些产品中发现了质量流量和碳流量的差异。

结果

绿色基础设施的生活和有机产品需要自己的 LCA 方法。最重要的是，如果遵循环境产品声明的传统生命周期指南，随着时间的推移，不对称的质量和碳流动将导致不正确的结论。此外，植物的繁殖能力为分配环境影响提出了额外的问题。

结论

我们提出了为研究的绿色基础设施产品编制环境产品声明所需的一套建议。为了能够量化这些产品减缓气候变化的潜力，必须授权进一步制定 LCA 指南的工作。