Biobased construction materials

V2.3

This methodology covers projects that manufacture biobased construction materials and/or use these materials in building construction or renovation. The eligible biobased materials include, but are not limited to, wood framing, hempcrete, and cellulose insulation, derived from biomass sources such as wood, bamboo, and hemp.

Methodology name	Biobased construction materials
Version	2.3
Methodology ID	RIV-BIOBM-01-CONST-V2.3
Release date	October 30th, 2024
Status	In use

Glossary

Biobased construction material	Materials derived from biomass that are used in construction and other applications
Biogenic carbon	Carbon from organic matter that can be sequestered and stored in biobased products during their production, and released back into the atmosphere if they are incinerated or decayed. It is considered part of the short, natural carbon cycle, as opposed to fossil based carbon
Biomass	The biodegradable fraction of materials from biogenic origin, such as trees, plants, and agricultural and urban waste
Carbon storage duration	The number of years that biogenic carbon will be stored in a construction material. This corresponds to the reference service lifetime for the material’s first use, plus extended storage periods from reuse, recycling, or landfilling
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)	A standardized and independently verified document that communicates the environmental performance of a product, including construction materials, based on a life cycle assessment
Reference service lifetime	The expected or predefined period of use for a product or construction material, measured in number of years. Used for assessing its environmental impact over its life cycle
Modules A-D	Components and terminology of an environmental assessment under EN 15804, outlining the stages of a life cycle assessment for construction materials. They encompass (A) Production, (B) Construction/Installation, (C) Use, and (D) End of Life
Project biobased material	The biobased material from the project that is subject to removal and/or avoidance Riverse Carbon Credit issuance. Its production/use is the mitigation activity for this methodology.