For the first time, several leading buildings and sustainability industry organizations are collaborating to create common language for holistic material sustainability. The initiative, known as the Common Materials Framework, is a centrally-managed, industry-led resource, designed to rapidly accelerate progress to make and adopt products that are transparently disclosed and holistically optimized for sustainability.
According to a release from the Interntaional WELL Building Institute (IWBI), one of the organizations involved in the initiative, the Common Materials Framework “acts as a ‘Rosetta Stone’ for product sustainability, translating diverse product standards and disparate data points into consistent categories of impact.”
A first draft of the Common Materials Framework was completed in 2021, but it was at this year’s Greenbuild that the agreement between the organizations was announced. The organizations include IWBI, the U.S. Green Building Council, the American Institute of Architects, the International Living Future Institute, and mindful MATERIALS.
“We’re thrilled to be locking arms with like-minded organizations to help realize a shared vision for better materials,” says Rachel Hodgdon, President and CEO of IWBI. “By working together and leveraging the Common Materials Framework, we are not only creating greater alignment across industries, we are also seizing an opportunity to accelerate progress toward healthier and more sustainable materials.”
Greg Zimmerman is senior contributing editor for FacilitiesNet.com and Building Operating Management magazine.
