Scientific and technical aims
The scientific and technical goals aim to transpose the knowledge already available into practical, product-related conclusions. These should be easily accessible, applicable and manageable for the practical user. To this aim, natureplus will continue to work together with a multi-disciplinary group, composed predominantly of scientists from testing institutions, to:-
• compile all the available knowledge on all the relevant building materials and products with respect to the elements of sustainability (suitability of usage; longevity and durability; raw material availability; the social and ecological consequences of obtaining the raw materials; the environmental effects and energy consumption during their production, usage and disposal; the health-related aspects of the contents and alternatives to cover this demand).
• achieve the precedence of renewable raw materials over fossil fuels and to define benchmarks for the procurement and extraction of mineral raw materials, thereby uniting the label with the principle aims and values of recycling (promotion of environmental protection and the considerate management of natural resources, waste avoidance and a sustainable recycling-based economy).
• define the characteristics according to environmental and health-related requirements ( the regulatory standards, Norms and limits; the preference or exclusion of the materials employed or the acquisition process; emission level limits, test procedures and criteria; development goals).
• develop criteria for the evaluation of sustainability and their aggregation, and to reach a widely supported consensus by means of a voting process with the interested parties involved.
• to set the dividing line between all those products which may be worthy for certification and those that are actually certified, to a maximum 20% of the best products (“Best Practice”). In this way, the scientific and technical basis and the social weighting can be brought together within a single ranking.
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