Moving from ICE to GCD

Summary

One Click LCA deactivates ICE (Inventory of Carbon and Energy) datasets on October 1, 2026. Your existing work stays intact, and Generic Construction Data (GCD), UK edition, replaces ICE with an equivalent dataset for every ICE datapoint. This article explains what changes, what to do before and after the date, and how to map ICE datasets to GCD.

Why ICE is retiring

Circular Ecology, the publisher of ICE, is withdrawing ICE from commercial use. Its successor, IC+, is a paid database; see IC+ from Circular Ecology

ICE holds 579 datasets for UK materials. Until now, One Click LCA included it free as standard in its database. From October 1, 2026, ICE datasets are deactivated in One Click LCA and in every other tool and database that carries them. Each provider chooses its own replacement. One Click LCA's replacement is GCD, UK edition, free for end users under its terms of use.

What changes on September 30, 2026

From September 30, 2026, you can no longer add ICE datasets to any design. Your existing work stays intact.

	What changes	What stays the same
Adding data	You can no longer add ICE datasets to any design	ICE datasets already in a design stay in place and remain visible
Selection	ICE datasets no longer appear as selectable options	ICE datasets keep working in calculations and reports
Results	Replacing ICE data with another dataset later may produce different figures	You lose no completed or in-progress work, and you rebuild nothing

If a live assessment still needs ICE datasets, add them before September 30, 2026.

What to do before and after September 30, 2026

Finish live assessments. If an assessment still needs ICE datasets, add them before October 1. After that date, you cannot add them to any design.
Check your account. GCD datasets already appear there. You install nothing. Find them by filtering for GCD or by searching for "Generic Construction Data."
Map your ICE datasets to GCD. Use the mapping table below. One Click LCA is also building a like-for-like dataset finder into the software.
Replace data only if you want to. ICE datasets already in a design keep working. If you switch a design to GCD, replace each ICE dataset the same way you replace any data in One Click LCA, then check the results.

How GCD coverage compares with ICE

GCD holds 836 generic UK datasets, against 579 in ICE. It covers every ICE dataset and adds 257 datasets with no ICE counterpart. All figures are cradle-to-gate GWP for the UK.

Product category	GCD datasets	ICE datasets
Concrete and concrete products	372	361
Finishes, building products and services	102	3
Metals	92	39
Bricks, ceramics and glass	91	72
Aggregates, cement and binders	74	64
Mortars, plasters and boards	43	16
Insulation	35	4
Wood products	27	20
Total	836	579

The ICE to GCD dataset mapping table

The mapping table lists every ICE dataset alongside its equivalent in GCD, UK edition. It is public: anyone can download it. It does not show A1 to A3 impacts; the downloadable GCD database shows the emission factor for each dataset.

Download the table: [available soon]

IStructE datapoints based on ICE used ICE data one to one, so the table also gives you the replacement for each of them.

How to use the table

Use the table to find each replacement dataset, then make that dataset the default choice for every team.

Look up the ICE dataset. Each row lists an ICE dataset, its GCD equivalent, and the GCD dataset's OCLID, the unique identifier of every dataset in One Click LCA.
Find the GCD dataset by OCLID. Search by OCLID in One Click LCA to go straight to the right dataset, without matching names by hand.
Mark it as a company favorite. Company favorites are visible to everyone in your organization, so each team picks the same GCD dataset for the same material.
Share a preferred list. In Materials Compass, create a list of your company-preferred GCD datasets and share it with every team that runs assessments. Teams can add datasets from the list to their projects directly.

Before you swap datasets

Existing designs stay intact. ICE datasets already in a design keep calculating and still appear in reports. You do not need to replace them.
Results may change. GCD is built from current UK data, so a GCD dataset can give a different figure from the ICE datapoint it replaces. Check results before you reissue a report. One Click LCA has analyzed the increase or decrease in emissions for each mapped datapoint, but not yet for full projects.
Deadline for adding ICE data. If a live assessment still needs ICE datasets, add them before October 1, 2026.

Standards and methods that reference ICE

Several UK standards and methods reference ICE or use data derived from it. None of the four below requires specific ICE datasets.

Standard or method	Status
RICS Whole Life Carbon Assessment, 2nd edition	Does not mandate specific ICE datasets. It refers to ICE only for UK average recycled content and GGBS rates. GCD contains datasets matching each product category assumption in the standard
CIBSE TM65	One Click LCA assumes TM65 works the same way as LCAs: outputs that used ICE stay unchanged, and new assessments use replacement data. CIBSE has not yet confirmed this
IStructE embodied carbon data	Some IStructE data derives from ICE. IStructE has not yet confirmed its approach. One Click LCA deactivates ICE-based datasets
Irish national methodology	An earlier version used ICE alongside INDICATE. The new national database leaves ICE out entirely

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to rebuild assessments that use ICE? No. ICE datasets already in a design stay in place, keep calculating, and still appear in reports.

What happens to ICE data in a project that finishes after October 1, 2026? It stays exactly as it is. ICE datasets already in the project remain in place and keep calculating, and One Click LCA does not replace them with GCD automatically. Any data you add after October 1 comes from GCD or other available datasets.

Can I still add ICE datasets after September 30, 2026? No. From that date, ICE datasets no longer appear as selectable options in any design.

If I copy a design or project after September 30, 2026, are its ICE datasets copied too? Yes. When you copy a design, its ICE datasets copy with it. You still cannot add new ICE datasets after September 30, 2026.

If a project needs changes at the next design stage, do its ICE datasets stay linked, or do they show as expired? They stay in the project and show as deactivated.

How do I replace ICE data in a live assessment I cannot finish before October 1, 2026? You do not have to: ICE datasets already in the assessment keep working. If you want to switch, replace each ICE dataset the same way you replace any data in One Click LCA. Use the mapping table to pick the GCD equivalent, and check your results afterwards, since they may change.

Will my results change if I switch to GCD? They may. GCD is built from current UK data, so its values can differ from the ICE datapoints they replace.

Is there an analysis of how moving from ICE to GCD affects project results? Not for full projects yet. One Click LCA has analyzed the increase or decrease in emissions for each mapped datapoint.

Can I still use ICE data for educational purposes? One Click LCA has not yet decided whether to maintain a separate educational version of ICE. One Click LCA educational licenses are always free and offer exactly the same experience as the paid tools.

Will GCD cover the IStructE datapoints that One Click LCA deactivates? Yes. IStructE datapoints based on ICE used ICE data one to one, so the mapping table also gives you the replacement for each of them.

Is the mapping table public, or do I need to request it? It is public. Download it from this article.

Does the mapping table show A1 to A3 impacts for each ICE dataset and its GCD equivalent? No. The downloadable GCD database shows the emission factor for each dataset.