Introduction to ecospecifier.org Ecospecifier © 2008

“ecospecifier is a world-class tool that deserves global input and attention. No other software tool helps designers and specifiers make decisions on products in such scientifically, environmentally based protocol. I am impressed and sincerely anxious about seeing ecospecifier gain the global recognition it deserves … We need ecospecifier out here in the building industry.” Dr Kath Williams, Fulbright Senior Specialists, Past Chair, US Green Building Council The power of ecospecifier.org

Ecospecifier © 2008 A highly effective online Business to Business connection between manufacturers of Green Products and the professionals looking to deliver tomorrow’s Green Buildings today! Globally unique, the ecospecifier search engine (also in the UAE/Middle East (.ae) and South Africa (.za) is highly effective at generating sales Powerful search functions link straight to the driving force within the market - Rating Systems –e.g. LEED®, BREEAM & Green Star™ and other relevant tools; Verified eco-information using life-cycle-based analysis We make the delivery of green buildings achievable Our search engine works for everyone

ecospecifier.org is not a directory site or ecolabel all products must meet entry criteria before being accepted for listing it is the ONLY source of transparent, verified product whole-of-life cycle based information desktop based assessment - unbiased & 3 rd party How is ecospecifier.org different? Ecospecifier © 2008

Industry sectors that use ecospecifier.org Ecospecifier © 2008

Some of our Industry Subscribers Ecospecifier © 2008 MIRVAC COX Group

Some of our listed manufacturers Over 500 manufacturers &suppliers & listings for over 3,500 eco and health preferred building products available in Australasia Ecospecifier © 2008 AAC

ecospecifier products 80 + product categories sub-categories Ecospecifier © 2008

To be accepted for listing on ecospecifier.org a commercially available product or material requires: –one or more unique environmental or health benefits compared to other products in its category and/or –is a member of a product category that in itself is an ecologically or health preferred category –does not embody significant damaging chemical or process issues (considered under ‘Issues of concern’ &‘Red Light’ Issues) All products must meet entry level criteria Ecospecifier © 2008

How does ecospecifier assess? Ecospecifier © 2008 We don’t just ‘tick boxes’ and use information provided by manufacturers, our Research Hub: Implements an assessment methodology guided by our Product Standards Group, assessing products using ecospecifier, national and international standards, codes, eco- labels, Life Cycle Assessment methodologies and Green Building Rating Schemes; Reviews independent test data, third party research and/or expert opinion to test manufacturer declarations and claims and, Where products claims are not verified, the statement ‘according to manufacturer’, ‘manufacturer claim’ or similar is shown.

Ecospecifier © 2008 Navigation Search Options The product/materials database on ecospecifier.org can be searched by: product category outcomes – eco outcome (assessment criteria e.g. energy or water efficiency, healthy interiors etc) data quality - expert review (Basic Listings only) through to detailed verification (all other listings) Green Star™, BASIX & other tool criteria keyword

Commencing your materials research… Ecospecifier © Products by category 3. Data, outcomes & GreenRate credits 4.Keyword 5.Geographical 1.Site search Use the ‘*’ Wildcard Or any combination Searches coded in blue yield products only

ecospecifier product listing types … Ecospecifier © Outcomes &Rating Systems 1.Sit search Listing type Code Basic Listing none Basic Listing Plus (free-to-air) [BLP] *Enhanced Content Premium Listing [EC] *GreenRate Premium Listing [ECG] (Enhanced Content + a green rating scheme Pre-assessment, i.e.Green Star™ ) * PREMIUM LISTINGS INCLUDE A MANUFACTURER’S LEAD ENQUIRY SERVICE

Product search: Basic Listings Ecospecifier © Outcomes &Rating Systems 1.Sit search word Product Overview and Assessment Assessment Criteria met Live link to Supplier Information

Product search Ecospecifier © Outcomes &Rating Systems 1.Sit search Select Outcome if desired- Manual de- selection is needed Select Category and Sub category

Premium Content Listings Ecospecifier © Outcomes &Rating Systems 1.Sit search  Product Name:  Overview:  words  Product Description:  Up to 150 Words  Technical Specifications:  Options:  Colours:  Warranty:  Expected Life:  Constituents:  Purchase Options:  Life Cycle Analysis:  Integrated Design Issues  Human Health  Environmental Quality  Resource Depletion  Repairability:  Reusability:  Reusability: Design For Dematerialisation:  Design For Dissassesmbly:  Recyclability:  Maintenance:  Product Takeback Scheme Offerred?:  Issues of Concern/ Red Lights?  Assessment Comparison:  Indicative cost:  Projects:  Australian Manufacture/Fabrication:  State Availability:  NatSpec and SpecPack Categories  Australian and other Standards:  Assessment Criteria Satisfied:  Plus multiple images and downloads Overview & Description are the equivalent of Basic Plus Content that appears in the public view Analysis is as long and detailed as a full description of the product requires

© ecospecifier May 2006 slide 17 : So, returning to the product search a subscriber search returns 47 products – a non-subscriber search returns 7. Product name and hot-link to product data- sheet Supplier and state availability links Click on the DOTS to link to the specific assessment criteria that product meets search result page Grey indicates a detailed Enhanced Content [EC] or GreenRate [ECG] Premium listing Click on the Summary Assessment Criteria to find out more Use right-click on mouse & select ‘Open in New Window’ to maintain search page results Don’t use summary DOTS as only review- use full product listings also

Issues of concern- red lights Ecospecifier © 2008 Biodiversity, Carcinogens, Persistent Organic Pollutants, R-Phrase & S-Phrase Hazardous Chemical categorisation and concentration triggers including Red Light Exclusion

Ecospecifier © 2008 Comment or Exclusion The ecospecifier Red Lights or Issues of Concern policy is based on the Precautionary Principle, hence: issues explicit in policy are not the only basis on which Issues of Concern or Red Light Comments are issued and worst-case assessments are used where different information sources are in conflict. Policy is ‘live’ i.e., may change as new information becomes available about impacts and safe concentrations of chemicals and processes over time. Issues of Concern & Red Lights

Ecospecifier © 2008 If a product contains any of the following impacts, it will, subject to the Risk Analysis assessment, require either an automatic Issue of Concern, a Red Light Comment or, as the strongest course of action, a Red Light Exclusion from being listed on ecospecifier: timber material from a non-FSC certified source requires an Issue of Concern. Note that both FSC Forest Management (FM) and Chain-of-Custody (CoC) certification are required; significant non-FSC certified rainforest or high conservation value remnant ecosystem timber content, this warrants a Red Light comment or possibly even a Red Light Exclusion subject to proof of legal sources; significant environmentally damaging processes or emissions, or long term Persistent, Bioaccumulating Toxics (PBT) or Carcinogenic, Mutagenic or Reprotoxic (CMR) impacts, (subject to assessment stages -3, Red Light comment or Red Light Exclusion Issues of Concern - Red Lights

Ecospecifier © 2008 Issues of Concern - Red Lights Ionizing Radiation. Any product containing or responsible for ionizing radiation levels above background or healthy levels is also a Category 0 Red Light Exclusion; Carcinogens. Any chemicals classified by IARC Group 1 (Carcinogenic to humans)Level 1 Group 2A (Probably carcinogenic to humans)Level 1 Group 2B(Possibly carcinogenic to humans)Level 1 Group 3Level 2 Group 4Level 3 RoHS. hazardous substances under the European RoHS prohibited substances in electronic goods regulations Level 1

Ecospecifier © 2008 Issues of Concern - Red Lights R and S Phrases- Level 1, 2 and 3 Chemicals. Determined by the chemical’s CAS number for all constituents down to less than 1% from manufacturer MSDS and product formulation. A chemical is attributed various R and S Phrases (as taken from the recognized EU Directive 2001/59/EC). ecospecifier has broken these R and S Phrases down into Level 0, 1, 2 and 3 chemicals, according to their potentially adverse health and environmental effects in a peer reviewed process and based on % concentrations and a risk assessment – attributes different level of Concern or Red Light comment or excludes entirely.

Ecospecifier © 2008 Issues of Concern - Red Lights Step one Table 1 - Preliminary categorization of hazardous substances based on R Phrases Ecospecifier category Hazardous substance R Phrase levels (and proportion required to trigger preliminary categorization) Level 0 Immediate exclusion Level 1 High risk Level 2 Medium - Low risk Level 3 Low to no risk or safety concern Issue of Concern -0.1%1% No action required. Red Light Comment -5%10% No action required. Red Light Exclusion Always 10% 50% No action required.

Ecospecifier © 2008 Issues of Concern - Red Lights Step two Table 2 – Hazardous substance categorisation review and action required Preliminary ecospecifier category Likelihood of risk being realized and action to be taken ImminentLikelyUnlikely Issue of Concern Full ‘Issue of Concern’ required. State ‘Issue of Concern’ and include details of how concern can be minimised Note hazardous substance in relevant area of assessment (e.g. Human Health - NOT in Issues of Concern) and give substantive reasons on the unlikeliness of risk. Red Light Comment Full ‘Red Light Comment’ required. State ‘Red Light Comment’ and include details of how concern can be minimised. Note ‘Issue of Concern’ Comment’ and state unlikeliness of concern occurring giving substantive reasons. Red Light Exclusion ‘Red Light Exclusion’ required. State ‘Red Light Comment’ and include unlikeliness of concern occurring giving substantive reasons.

Ecospecifier © 2008 Issues of Concern - Red Lights Step 3 Table 3 - Action required for hazardous substance based on S Phrases Hazardous substance S Phrase level Level 1Level 2Level 3 Strongly state safety concern in relevant heading on product listing and how it can be minimised. Mention safety concern in relevant heading on product listing and how it can be minimised. No action required.

Ecospecifier © 2008 Search Options: ecospecifier GreenRate ecospecifier GreenRate – Green Building Scheme Product Pre-Assessment Interface ‘enhanced content’ listings with ecospecifier’s ‘Green Star™ *’ and other scheme search options (ECG) New and improved time saving functionNew and improved time saving function Provides quick access to green scheme assessed products:Provides quick access to green scheme assessed products:  Green Star office interiors v.1 or  Green Star office design v.2 & v.3 rating tools * Note: Green Star™ is a mark of the Green Building Council of Australia

Ecospecifier © 2008 Search Options: Green Star™  reports all of the green star product categories that ‘component-products' (like paints, fabrics, wood panels etc.) meets  makes it easier for you to quickly see what the green star compatibility attributes of your products are  makes it easier for you to quickly see what the green star compatibility attributes of your products are  products like chairs, storage units & workstations can be assessed to calculate the number of ‘credit points’ available to a project if specified.  Only attaches product listings to searches when Green Star Technical Manual evidence has been sighted. Green Star™ assessment and ratings * Note: Green Star™ is a mark of the Green Building Council of Australia

Ecospecifier © 2008 Search Options: Green Star™ Green Star™ tool: development Prod Products assessed under each new tool when adopted formally: 2008 Retail (Shopping Centre Design) Education (including laboratories & teaching facilities) Health 2009 Mixed Used Residential * Note: Green Star™ is a mark of the Green Building Council of Australia

Ecospecifier © 2008 ecospecifier: Setting Priorities Eco-priority guides advise what ecospecifier considers to be the health and environmental priorities for common product categories and products.

Ecospecifier © 2008 ecospecifier Technical Guides 1.Sustainable Timber : All aspects of use, maintenance, preservation - including 3 rd party certification schemes comparing FSC to AFS, PEFC etc 2.Plants & Indoor Air Quality: Species and VOC removal results from indoor plants 3.Photovoltaic Systems: Technology & Maintenance- system types, design, embodied energy payback and loading calculator spreadsheet 4.Thermal Mass & Building Comfort- the role of mass in maintaining comfort in buildings 5.Lighting Ballasts: the next generation super efficient magnetic ballasts and their comparison to current electronic ballast- in peer review 6.Mercury and Fluorescent lighting: in preparation

Search: Supplier Enquiry Ecospecifier © 2008 Enquiry button at top of product listings forwards enquiries directly to manufacturer On many listings and all Premium Listings

All and web hotlinks are live Search: Supplier Listing

If you find a product you think is eco or healthy that is not on the database, you can nominate it for an assessment with this form ecospecifier: nominate a product

It’s now up to you … Ecospecifier © 2008 Any problems about accessing the information that you require, please let us know about it

Log in now to ecospecifier.org Ecospecifier © 2008 For quick access to unique, context sensitive knowledge about innovative green products for you to deliver green buildings For materials research you can trust ecospecifier.org makes specifying green products easy, economic and achievable and delivers increased sales via access to key major project decision makers (with less sales staff and calls).

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Ecospecifier © 2008 ecospecfier’s Knowledge Base We are an active research organisation and offer Subscribers discounts on all of our publications: ranging from Eco Priority Guides, Technical papers, PowerPoint presentations to specialist books authored by our Technical Team Find out about our publications

Good luck with your sustainable project Ecospecifier © 2008 We look forward to assisting you to deliver increased Green Development and Product outcomes at: For further information and enquiries, please