Database launched to track cost of materials and impact on the environment

The new database will allow the construction industry to assess whether they need to pay more for building materials with lower embodied carbon values

The Cost and Carbon Materials Database by BCIS features the costs of more than 9,200 commonly used building, civil engineering, and specialist engineering materials with UK average merchant prices.

It also provides details on the impacts of inflation, both past and forecasted, on the costs of these materials. Additionally, the database includes comprehensive carbon credentials for a representative material, where available.

James Fiske, chief executive at the BCIS, said, “I’m very proud that we can offer this new service to the industry. It’s the only database of its kind available and will be an essential tool in helping the built environment’s drive towards net zero.

“It’s all well and good saying that construction firms should be calculating and reporting on embodied carbon, because we know we have a mountain to climb in terms of reducing emissions from the built environment, but the practicalities of those calculations and trying to sift through the data to find what you need is far from straightforward.”

According to the BCIS, the new database will allow the construction industry to assess whether they need to pay more for building materials with lower embodied carbon values. Additionally, professionals will be able to compare multiple product options alongside a 12-month inflation forecast on those costs, which could potentially impact decision-making.

The database will also facilitate the tracking of changes in both cost and carbon values as the project progresses.