BS ISO 15392:2008

With the growing importance of sustainable development, the strategies for addressing sustainability in building construction are essentially local and differ in context and content from region to region. These strategies will reflect the context, the preconditions and the priorities and needs, not only in the built environment, but also in the social environment. This social environment includes social equity, cultural issues, traditions, heritage issues, human health and comfort, social infrastructure and safe and healthy environments. It may, in addition, particularly in developing countries, include poverty reduction, job creation, access to safe, affordable and healthy shelter, and loss of livelihoods. This international standard on sustainability in building construction identifies and establishes general principles for sustainability in building construction. It is based on the concept of sustainable development as it applies to the life cycle of buildings and other construction works, from their inception to the end of life. BS ISO 15392 is applicable to buildings and other construction works individually and collectively, as well as to the materials, products, services and processes related to the life cycle of buildings and other construction works. The building and construction sector is highly important for sustainable development because:

It is a key sector in national economies It has a significant interface with poverty reduction through the basic economic and social services provided in the built environment and the potential opportunities for the poor to be engaged in construction, operation and maintenance It is one of the single largest industrial sectors and, while providing value and employment, it absorbs considerable resources, with consequential impacts on economic and social conditions and the environment It creates the built environment, which represents a significant s...