BECD upgrade strengthens data quality and usability for carbon assessments

The Built Environment Carbon Database (BECD) has been significantly updated, giving construction professionals clearer, more representative product carbon data and an improved user experience.

Funded by BCIS and RICS, and developed in partnership with organisations from across the built environment as a free‑to‑use, pan‑industry resource, BECD enables consistent recording and benchmarking of embodied carbon for materials, components and projects.

The latest update delivers a major overhaul of BECD’s product data library, which now contains over 35,000 data points. For the first time, it incorporates generic materials data from version 4 of the internationally recognised Inventory of Carbon and Energy (ICE), providing a broader set of embodied carbon figures.

The user interface for both the Product and Asset Libraries has been redesigned, making it easier to search, input and retrieve information.

Alongside these interface upgrades, BECD’s data capture method has been updated to align with the latest RICS Whole life carbon assessment (WLCA) for the built environment standard, while still supporting the 2017 version for continuity. A new summarised reporting mode, aligned to EN15978, is now available to report assessments that do not have the level of detail of the RICS standard. Downloads have been improved with clearer formatting and grouping by assessment format.

While the Asset Library does not currently contain any assessments, historical datasets will be entered in the next few months to build up a consistent basis for project-level benchmarking.

The improvements to BECD come shortly after the publication of a government‑commissioned AECOM report on the practical, technical and economic impacts of measuring and reducing embodied carbon in new buildings⁽¹⁾.

The report called for the creation of a national carbon dataset to support better measurement and reduction practices.

James Fiske, executive director at BCIS and chair of the BECD steering group, said: ‘This update moves BECD onto a new level in terms of coverage and usability. It’s been designed to make it simpler for professionals to access reliable carbon data and apply it with confidence in live projects.

‘The AECOM report shows just how urgently we need consistent, trusted data to drive carbon reduction. BECD is perfectly placed to be the foundation for that, but it will take collaboration across the industry, and support from government, to keep building the depth and breadth of data we need.

‘For anyone working in cost and planning, having this data to hand means they can start to weave carbon considerations into decision‑making as naturally as they do cost. That shift will make low‑carbon design and delivery far easier to achieve in practice.’

Fabrizio Varriale, built environment analyst at RICS, said: ‘The new reporting formats implemented through this update allow the BECD Asset Library to receive a wider range of project data, from assessments that are fully compliant with the 2023 RICS standard to assessments conducted at a lower level of detail. Moreover, changes to the interface have greatly improved its usability and clarity.

‘We encourage all professionals working on carbon assessments, at any level of detail and at any stage of the building life cycle, to share their results with the industry through BECD.’

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^{(1) GOV.UK – Research and analysis Consideration of embodied carbon in new buildings  - here}