HOW TO HELP
Prioritize Transparency
LS3P is a signatory of the AIA Materials PledgeI. This means we have committed to supporting:
Human Health by preferring products that support and foster life throughout their life cycles and seek to eliminate the use of hazardous substances
Social Health & Equity by preferring products from manufacturers that secure human rights in their own operations and supply chains, positively impacting their workers and the communities where they operate
Ecosystem Health by preferring products that support and regenerate the natural air, water, and biological cycles of life through thoughtful supply chain management and restorative company practices
Climate Health by preferring products that reduce carbon emissions and ultimately sequester more carbon than emitted
Circular Economy by reusing and improving buildings and by designing for resiliency, adaptability, disassembly, and reuse, aspiring to a zerowaste goal for global construction activities
As we begin to implement initial steps towards healthier materials, we will seek a deeper understanding of the impact of the materials we specify at every stage of their life cycle. We will prioritize ingredient and supply chain transparency so that we can educate our teams and clients on healthier materials and create specifications with the greatest positive impact.
If you are concerned that your products may not meet the pledge criteria, please contact us at HighPerformance_Resiliency@ls3p.com. We value our relationship with you and want to help you continue to be a trusted partner on our projects. We can share resources that can help achieve the sustainable, healthy, low embodied carbon data that is required.
Additional Resources:
Mindful Materials Portal | Ecomedes | Sustainable Minds Transparency Catalog
I AIA Materials Pledge: https://www.aia.org/design-excellence/climate-action/zero-carbon/materials-pledge
II Green Science Policy Institute: https://greensciencepolicy.org/harmful-chemicals/
Please provide products for our materials library that include documentation of ingredients and their impacts via one of the following or similar transparency measures:
» Current Health Product Declaration
» Current Declare Label
» Current VOC limits & emissions test requirement threshold data like CARB, CDPH, and SCAQMD credentials
Target Lower Impacts Across
a
Product’s Life Cycle
Please provide products for our materials library that document life cycle impacts via:
» Current Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
» If an EPD is not available, provide a description of current life cycle assessments
Avoid Harmful Ingredients
Please provide products for our library that avoid chemicals recognized as harmful to human and environmental health. Additional information can be found in the Living Building Challenge Red List and GreenScreen Benchmark. Known harmful chemicals includeII:
» Antimicrobials
» Stain Repellents & other PFAs
» Bisphenols & Phthalates
» Flame Retardants
» Some Solvents
» Certain Metals
» VOC Emissions & VOC content
» Formaldehyde
» PVC (vinyl)
Target Low Embodied Carbon
Please provide products for our materials library that are low in embodied carbon. It is incumbent upon all professionals working in the AEC industry to strive for net zero carbon in our building materials and operations.
Seek Out Reliable Data
Please provide products for our materials library that are verified by high-quality, thirdparty labels and certifications. Reliable data which is standardized across the industry helps us understand a product’s true impacts and reduce greenwashing.