Global partnership launched to align sustainable building materials

Construction is responsible for more than half of the world’s raw materials extraction. Yet the tools and frameworks used to measure the impacts of building products often differ, creating confusion and duplication for manufacturers, designers and building owners. Additionally, with the emergence of more stringent sustainability reporting requirements being driven by frameworks such as the Taskforce for Climate- and Nature-related Financial Disclosures and other international standards guiding sustainability, it is vital that reporting metrics align to enable benchmarking and measurement. 

This partnership will cut through the complexity by creating a shared language and approach for materials assessment. 

The aim is to provide a common language, align data and metrics, and establish global targets for climate, nature and circularity. 

Once these objectives are achieved: 

• Manufacturers will be able to prioritise sustainable products and report data in a more streamlined way.

• Specifiers will have clearer access to verified claims and be better able to compare product information.

• Building owners will be better placed to meet sustainability commitments and future-proof their assets by aligning with global standards.

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GBCA CEO, Davina Rooney said materials are one of the biggest levers we have to tackle the climate and nature crises. 

“By working together, we can give industry the clarity it needs, reduce duplication, and accelerate a global shift to healthier, lower-carbon, circular materials,” Ms Rooney said. 

Sarah Zaleski, Chief Products Officer, said alignment across major rating tools will deliver immediate benefits for manufacturers and project teams. 

“Industry needs a clear and consistent signal on what good performance looks like,” Ms. Zaleski said. 

“This partnership will support the global supply chain and make it easier for building projects everywhere to choose materials that drive better outcomes for people and the planet.” 

Jane Goddard, Deputy Chief Executive of BRE, said the collaboration is essential to building trust and consistency in the market. 

“Our collective goal is to simplify how sustainability data is defined and recognised,” Ms Goddard said. 

“This will cut the cost of compliance, scale up the availability of better products, and make it simpler to deliver world-class sustainable buildings. 

Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO of IWBI, said that the initiative is not only about environmental issues but also social and health-related ones as well. 

“Creating a unified approach to materials assessment that puts human health at the center of decision making will accelerate the adoption of healthier, more sustainable products all around the world,” said Hodgdon. 

Annie Bevan, President of mindful MATERIALS, said the initiative builds on existing industry work. 

“The Common Materials Framework provides the backbone for harmonisation, and this partnership ensures it can be scaled globally through leading rating tools,” Ms Bevan said. The building industry has long faced a tangle of inconsistent sustainability criteria. By uniting around a common language and shared framework, we’re removing barriers for manufacturers and project teams—making it easier to choose better materials and accelerate progress toward a healthier, more sustainable built environment.” 

Lindsay Baker, Chief Executive Officer of ILFI, said the partnership represents a powerful opportunity for global alignment. 

“The global impact of the supply chain of the building industry is staggering, impactful, and therefore we collectively have a huge lever for positive change. By aligning international guidance on healthy and sustainable materials specifications, we can send a clear message to our global supply chains that buildings must be built with materials that are fundamentally good for people and the planet,” Ms Baker said. 

The first deliverable will be a call to action, outlining the goals of the partnership in greater detail and raising an awareness of the importance of aligned goals. A principles and metrics paper is planned for 2026, setting out the roadmap for alignment. Further work will follow to integrate the shared approach across rating tools and provide clear guidance for industry, the aim of core criteria for industry to work to, sensitive to regional needs. 

“International consistency on materials has been the missing piece in the global climate response,” Ms Rooney said. 

“This partnership fills that gap and sets us up to achieve climate-positive outcomes faster, together.”

Additional quotes

“This collaboration marks a new chapter for sustainable construction. By uniting the world’s leading green building organisations, we’re creating a common language that

makes it simpler for industry to act with clarity and purpose. Together we can accelerate a future where every building material supports climate action, protects nature and drives circularity – where sustainable choices become the expectation, not the exception.”

Davina Rooney, Chief Executive Officer of the Green Building Council of Australia 

“USGBC’s mission has always been to build a better future where the built environment supports a healthy, sustainable world for all, and bring the benefits of green building to everyone. By entering into this partnership, we are laying the groundwork to scale the use of sustainable building materials globally. Together with global green building partners, our collective work can create a vision and standard for sustainable materials, helping to drive the market toward wider adoption.”

Sarah Zaleski, Chief Products Officer of the U.S. Green Building Council 

“BRE recognises the significant environmental impact of construction materials, which account for 50% of all raw materials extracted globally. To drive meaningful change, manufacturers need clear, consistent guidance to ensure the materials they produce are genuinely sustainable. 

“Certification schemes such as BREEAM have a vital role in making this process accessible and effective. As a founding member of this new global partnership with GBCA, USGBC, the Living Building Challenge, and Mindful Materials, BRE is proud to align the materials assessment aspects of our science-led BREEAM certification scheme with others—through a common language, harmonised criteria, shared targets, and consistent data.”

Jane Goddard, Deputy Chief Executive of the Building Research Establishment 

“Because people spend 90% of their time indoors, every choice we make about the materials that go into our buildings shapes the health of the people inside. Our partnership with mindfulMaterials, GBCA, USGBC, BRE, and ILFI is part of a global effort to create a unified approach to materials assessment that puts human health at the center of decision making, accelerating the adoption of healthier, more sustainable products all around the world.”

Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO, International WELL Building Institute 

“When we harmonise our standards, we unlock enormous potential for impact. This collaboration brings the world’s leading rating systems together behind a shared purpose – to make healthy, sustainable materials the norm, not the niche.”

Lindsay Baker, Chief Executive Officer of International Living Future Institute