The RICS v2 Infrastructure tool is designed in compliance with the RICS Professional Statement: Whole life carbon assessment for the built environment (2nd edition, 2023). The tool enables you to perform whole life carbon assessments aligned with RICS requirements for infrastructure projects.
This tool is applicable for projects in the UK only and is currently not verified by RICS.
Life-Cycle & Results Scope
The calculation covers the life-cycle modules required by RICS v2: A1–A5, B1–B7, C1–C4, and D.
Results are reported in line with RICS’s mandatory indicators: Global Warming Potential (GWP) across the life-cycle, expressed in kgCO₂e, for both Global warming potential - Decarbonised scenario & Non-Decarbonised scenario
Data Scope
Data sources: The tool supports both generic datasets and third-party verified Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), provided they are EN 15804-compliant.
Data quality: RICS v2 sets requirements for hierarchy of data sources, quality scoring, and transparency. These are built into the reporting.
Additional data handling: Unlike BREEAM, RICS v2 requires explicit reporting of data source quality and coverage.
Assessment Scope
The assessment scope depends on the chosen reporting level:
Screening assessments may be undertaken at early stages with limited data.
Complete assessments require full material, operational, and end-of-life data in line with RICS v2.
The scope must be aligned with the calculation period defined in RICS (typically 60 years for infrastructure unless justified otherwise).
Key RICS v2 Requirements in the Tool
Whole Life Carbon Assessment
RICS does not use credit points (unlike BREEAM). Instead, the tool structures the results around:
Embodied carbon (A1–A5, B2–B5, C1–C4)
Operational carbon (B6–B7)
Whole life total
Comparative design assessments can be carried out to demonstrate carbon reductions.
Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)
RICS v2 encourages the use of product-specific EPDs wherever available.
The tool supports identification of key products and integrates their impact transparently in line with the RICS reporting template.
Unlike BREEAM, there are no credits for the number of EPDs — instead, transparency and data quality requirements apply.
Operational Energy & Carbon
RICS v2 requires reporting of B6 (operational energy use) and B7 (operational water use) where relevant.
The tool provides input fields for operational scenarios and calculates the corresponding carbon impact.
Water
Embodied water (as a standalone indicator) is not explicitly required under RICS v2.
However, operational water use (B7) and any embodied impacts related to water infrastructure can be included.
Workflow in One Click LCA
Create a project and select the right calculation tool
Start a new infrastructure project.
Choose the “Infrastructure whole life carbon assessment, RICS - 2nd Edition” tool as the calculation tool.
Create your first design and set parameters
Set the calculation period (default 120 years unless justified otherwise).
Set up your first design and change the LCA parameters to:
Default service life: RICS V2 default service life
Default transportation distance: UK- RICS
Material manufacturing localisation target: Disabled material localization. Use method v2.1 for One Click LCA generic data
End-of-life scenario - Market scenarios
Country-specific end-of-life scenarios: United Kingdom - RICS 2nd edition
End-of-life energy recovery (module D) substituted energy mix (only for Market scenarios) - District heat UK / Several profiles - IEA2022
Country-specific site wastage - United Kingdom
NOTE: We recommend disabling the LCA parameter Material manufacturing localisation target.
If you are, however, enabling this, please choose v2.1 (Recommended) and select the Material manufacturing localisation target: "United Kingdom Electricity profile - IEA2022"
Input required material data
Enter materials manually or via import.
Prioritize EPD data where available; otherwise, use high-quality generic data.
Earthworks and transport data can be entered separately.
Fill in Construction Site Operations (A5)
Enter emissions from fuel, electricity, transport, and site processes.
Fill in Use Phase emissions (B modules)
B2–B5: maintenance, repair, replacement, refurbishment.
B6: energy use during operation.
B7: operational water use.
End-of-life modules (C1–C4)
Fill in deconstruction, transport, waste processing, and disposal data.
Top up Factor
Design Level Contingency
To account for uncertainty in this standard, the WLC assessor must consider contingency for the project based on the uncertainty at the time of the assessment.
Choose one of the following for input in this section. This is applied to all modules A-D, excluding operational energy (B6) and operational water (B7) consumptions. The selected factor is applied to all elements and scenarios used in the calculations.
In the revision of the RICS guidance dated 3 August 2024, RICS has appended to Table 10, another column. For project at early design phase, the carbon data and quantities uncertainty factors are NOT to be applied. These are ONLY applied at Technical and post-completion phases.
In the tool, your settings for a project at early design phase should be as follows for the Top-up factors tab:
Building Level Contingency: Early design phase (15%)
Data Quality Uncertainty: Disabled
Data Quality Uncertainty
There are two choices here:
Enabled: Data quality uncertainty factor is calculated from the top 10 most contributing materials of the design. The factor consists of data quality metrics depending on the year, verification and standard the material is based on of each resource with the addition of technological and geographical representativeness answers in the building materials query.
Disabled: No data quality top up is added in the calculations.
Review the results and export reports
The tool generates results in line with RICS v2 templates.
Use the comparison function to demonstrate design alternatives and reductions.
Comparison of RICS v2, BREEAM Infrastructure v6, and PAS 2080:2023 (EN 17472)
Aspect | RICS v2 Infrastructure (2023) | BREEAM Infrastructure v6 | PAS 2080:2023 / EN 17472 |
Assessment approach | Whole-life carbon (WLC) assessment framework. Focus on transparent reporting of carbon across A–D modules. No credit points. | Credit-based system with points awarded for achieving different levels of assessment (LCA, EPD use, energy, water). | Guidance framework for carbon management in infrastructure projects. Not a credit system; focuses on governance, supply chain engagement, and continual carbon reduction. |
Life-cycle modules | A1–A5, B1–B7, C1–C4, D (mandatory reporting of GWP). | A1–A5, B1–B7, C1–C4, D (aligned with EN 15804; credits depend on scope achieved). | Consistent with EN 17472: requires reporting across full life cycle, but allows staged assessments depending on project stage. |
Functional unit & calculation period | Functional unit and 60 years default calculation period (unless justified otherwise). | Functional unit defined by project, calculation period depends on scope pursued. | Emphasis on defining project boundaries and agreed functional units, not prescriptive on calculation period. |
Data hierarchy | Clear hierarchy: EPDs > high-quality generic > secondary sources. Data quality scoring and coverage reporting mandatory. | EPDs encouraged (credits for using them in key products), but generic data acceptable. No explicit data quality scoring. | Strong emphasis on improving data quality over time, and engaging supply chain to provide better data. |
Credits / outcomes | No credits. Results expressed in carbon terms (kgCO₂e) and compared across designs. | Points-based outcomes (up to 100 points for full LCA). Different pathways (screening, complete LCA, EPDs, etc.). | No credits. Emphasis on demonstrating continual carbon reductions vs. baselines, aligned with net zero trajectories. |
Operational impacts | B6 (energy) and B7 (water) must be included where relevant. | Energy reductions (7.7.1 & 7.7.2) credited separately. Water credited via 7.8.1. | Operational energy and water considered within the overall carbon management plan, not separately credited. |
Water | Not a separate indicator; water use accounted through operational (B7) and embodied effects of materials. | Separate embodied water credit (7.8.1). | Water considered only as part of broader carbon reduction measures. |
EPDs | Encouraged, with transparency and documentation required. No fixed number. | Specific credit (7.3.2) for specifying EPD-backed products in final asset. | Encourages supply chain use of EPDs and carbon data, but no credit structure. |
Governance & process | Focus on transparency and comparability of results. | Focus on demonstrating performance against fixed credit requirements. | Strong governance requirements: leadership, collaboration, and supply chain engagement central to PAS 2080. |
Alignment | Aligns with EN 15804, EN 15978, EN 17472, PAS 2080. Intended as a mandatory reporting standard in the UK. | Recognised voluntary scheme for infrastructure, with strong market adoption in UK. | Internationally recognised guidance for managing infrastructure carbon, aligned with EN 17472. |