New ICMS standards out for consultation

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), working as part of an international coalition of built environment professional groups seeking to drive the industry in measuring carbon, has jointly published for consultation with the world’s first international standard for reporting carbon emissions across all areas of construction.

The consultation, said a press release, will seek input from industry on how to make sure carbon emissions factor directly into the extensive decision-making that goes behind planning construction projects. This is to be followed by new RICS guidance for professionals on how to assess ‘embodied carbon’, added the release.

Following the consultation, the final ICMS standards are expected to be published in November this year followed by updated RICS guidance on carbon assessment.

Alan Muse, Head of Construction Standards at RICS and ICMS lead, added: “This update to ICMS and subsequent RICS standards which our professionals follow when completing any construction project, will see the construction sector making a large and measurable impact when it comes to leading from the front and combatting climate change.”