In this guide
Identify the assessment you are supporting
Record the project, design stage, assessment purpose and applicable method. Specify the building or infrastructure boundary and the life-cycle modules being assessed. An early estimate, an as-built assessment and a product EPD require different information.
Keep the quantity-takeoff version visible. If the designer updates a specification after procurement, record which version the calculation uses. Do not present a preliminary quantity as an installed quantity without checking delivery, installation and waste records.
Infrastructure NSW's technical guidance provides a primary reference on embodied-carbon measurement for infrastructure. Apply the requirements of the actual assessment scheme rather than treating this short checklist as a replacement.
The input checklist
| Input | Record to retain | Question to resolve |
|---|---|---|
| Material identity | Specification and product/manufacturer reference | Does the selected data represent this product? |
| Quantity | Takeoff, purchase or installed-quantity record | Which project stage and version does it describe? |
| Unit | Original quantity unit and declared factor unit | Is a conversion required and supported? |
| EPD | Identifier, document, validity and programme information | Is it applicable to the product and assessment? |
| Impact indicator | Indicator name, value and unit | Are you using the intended GWP measure? |
| Life-cycle modules | Included and excluded modules | Are the figures being combined on a consistent basis? |
| Additional assumptions | Transport, installation, waste or end-of-life inputs | Are these evidenced and within the assessment scope? |
| Review | Reviewer, question and resolved calculation version | Can another person reconstruct the decision? |
An EPD's presence does not make every comparison valid. Product function, declared or functional unit, methodology, geography, age and module coverage all need attention. Preserve the original document so those details remain available to the assessor.
Worked example: quantity times a compatible factor
Suppose a fictional design uses 300 m³ of a specified material. A fictional factor for the selected indicator and A1–A3 scope is 250 kg CO2e per m³. With those compatible units, the arithmetic is:
300 m³ × 250 kg CO2e/m³ = 75,000 kg CO2e = 75 tCO2e.
This is an illustrative factor, not a recommended reporting factor or a value for any real product. The result describes only the stated material quantity and module scope. It does not include the whole building life cycle.
If the factor were per tonne, you would first need an appropriate quantity conversion, with supporting density or product data. Changing “m³” to “tonnes” in a column heading does not perform that conversion.
Separate product manufacturing from project use
An EPD data-collection form gathers inputs for product LCA and declaration work. A project material register uses relevant product information alongside project quantities and assumptions. These are related tasks, but they are not the same dataset.
For example, product LCA import documentation describes forms for gathering and importing product LCA/EPD process information. A project team should still establish which product data it can use and how it maps to the project assessment.
Preserve changes instead of replacing the evidence
A useful correction record says: “Concrete quantity changed from design estimate to installed quantity, source delivery reconciliation version 3, reviewed by the project quantity surveyor.” Retain both values and the reason for the change.
Keep excluded or unavailable information visible. “No supplier-specific data received” is different from “zero impact.” If the assessor chooses a proxy, record its source, reason and limitation. Do not describe a proxy as a product-specific verified result.
Questions you might have
Can I add A1–A3 and whole-life results together?
Not as though they were independent, equivalent figures. Overlapping scopes can double-count, while different scopes can create a misleading comparison. Use the assessment method to organise modules and totals.
Does this worksheet calculate a building footprint?
No. It organises inputs for an assessment. The worked multiplication explains unit consistency, not a complete building-LCA model.
Where does disclosure software fit?
After a figure has been prepared with the appropriate tools and expertise, a reporting team may need its supporting evidence and review history. Auditably does not perform construction LCA, create verified EPDs or calculate embodied carbon. Read the coverage matrix before evaluating the product.
Prepared with AI assistance using the linked sources and original fictional examples. No customer results, field measurements or independent specialist review are claimed.