Practice

2023 Survey: Reducing Climate and Biodiversity Impacts of Products in Landscape Architecture Projects

454 member landscape architects, designers, and educators responded to the survey in the month of June 2023. Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ has approximately 15,000 members. 

Are your clients establishing a greenhouse gas emissions budget for your projects?

For no projects - 55%
I have heard this could be a future possibility - 20%
For 0-25 percent of projects - 19%
For 25-50 percent of projects - 2%
For every project I work on - 2%
For 50-75 percent of projects - 1%

What third-party verified data would most help you account for greenhouse gas emissions associated from products?

Embodied carbon factors for materials - 51%
Projected carbon sequestration by species for specifying trees - 50%
Greenhouse gas emissions of products' entire lifecycle - 47%
Greenhouse gas emissions for transportation products to project site - 43%
Greenhouse gas emissions savings for innovative materials - 40%
Embodied carbon data for trees and plants - 39%
Greenhouse gas emissions savings for low-carbon transportation - 35%
Carbon stored in wood furnishings and structures - 30%

Additional comments from the landscape architecture community:

¡°Greenhouse gas emissions or savings broken down by lifecycle phase ¨C manufacturing, installation, period of use, etc.¡±

¡°I'm more interested in trade-offs rather than products, like what can I save to reduce emissions.¡±

What would make it easier to find information on EPDs and product emissions assessments?

A curated register of baseline data (developed by Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ or another organization) - 55%
A landscape-specific EPD aggregator website - 49%
Adding a landscape category to an existing EPD aggregator website - 38%
Including EPD data in product directories - 38%

What kind of data do you currently request from product manufacturers?

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certification - 34%
EPA Energy Star Certification - 32%
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), meeting 29 CFR 1910.1200 - 25%
EPA Watersense Certification - 25%
Chain of Custody (CoC) for wood products - 16%
SCS Recycled Content Certification or other recycled content certifications - 16%
Rainforest Alliance Certification - 14%
Environmental Product Data Sheet (EDS), meeting 40 CFR 63.801 - 13%
Cradle to Cradle Certification - 12%
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) Products or Product Line - 11%

When do you ask product manufacturers for environmental product declarations (EPDs) or other third-party verified environmental data?

I don't ask for third-party verified data at any stage - 44%
Design development - 30%
Construction documents and spec writing - 30%
Planning or concept stages - 18%
As submittals during construction administration - 18%
Schematic design - 17%

For which products would you buy local (within 250 miles) to reduce transportation emissions, if there was a good option?

Trees - 84%
Aggregates and aggregate stabilization products - 80%
Plants, including seeds and hydroseeds - 80%
Concrete and concrete products (block, pavers, cast stone, etc) - 79%
Soils and soil amendments - 75%
Natural stone - 73%
Brick, tile, and fired masonry products - 69%
Erosion and sediment control products - 65%
Bituminous paving (asphalt and asphalt pavers) - 65%
Fencing or metal fabrications - 64%
Wood or wood products (decking, lumber, structures, etc) - 64%
Drainage or piping - 59%
Furnishings - 55%
Irrigation - 53%
Rainwater harvesting systems (cisterns, rain barrels, vaults) - 50%
Lighting - 49%
Fertilizer and/or pesticides - 48%
Green roof, green wall products - 45%
Play surfaces - 44%
Play equipment - 43%
Artificial turf - 40%
Water features, including fountain equipment - 39%
Renewable energy products (solar panels, wind turbines, etc.) - 37%
Swimming pool and natural swimming pond products - 32%

Additional comments from the landscape architecture community:

¡°Nearby sourcing is not only a way to reduce transportation emissions but also a way for projects to be more deeply connected to the community.¡±

¡°I would specify everything to be local if possible.¡±

¡°I factor in locality when sourcing materials and tools for any project. It doesn't always work, as the client might want other materials, but I do present the options when appropriate.¡±

¡°State Departments of Transportation have approved product lists for most items. These may result in barriers to purchasing locally for many products other than plants.¡±

What kind of collaborative research and knowledge sharing with product manufacturers would best advance the goals of decarbonization?

Free webinar series - 55%
Creation of a shared, curated product data library for landscape architects - 48%
Investment in best management practice educational materials for landscape architects, product manufacturers, and construction communities - 39%
Creation of a shared, curated carbon factor dataset for materials that can be used by landscape architects and product manufacturers when more specific EPD or other information is not available - 35%
Regular knowledge sharing sessions with product manufacturers and landscape architects at the Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ Conference - 33%
Construction Materials educational track at Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ Conference - 31%
Creation of a new advocacy coalition that can promote low- or zero-emission landscape standards at the state and federal levels - 25%
Development of a new advocacy group for decarbonizing upstream materials, such as cements, metals, plastics, timber, and the transportation systems used by landscape architects and vendors - 24%
Grants to prototype low and zero carbon materials, manufacturing processes - 21%
Interdisciplinary conference with a university LA program on materials research - 16%

Additional comments from the landscape architecture community:

¡°The simplest way would be to come up with a standardized labeling system similar to the label for nutritional values on food products listing categories of interest to landscape architects.¡±

¡°Materials research associated with a university. We need evidence-based data for landscape projects.¡±

¡°Research partnerships between manufacturers, professional firms, and universities.¡±

¡°A simple diagram listing basic materials, with their effects for site- or project-based purposes, in order to advance the goals of decarbonization.¡±

¡°Grants/subsidies to increase affordability of carbon-neutral techniques and products ¨C for example, carbon sequestering pavements and the local production of these kinds of pavements.¡±

What kind of collaborative research and knowledge sharing with landscape architects and educators would best advance the goals of biodiversity protection?

Free webinar series - 58%
Regular knowledge sharing sessions with other product manufacturers and landscape architects at the Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ Conference - 40%
Funding industry-wide biodiversity protection product protocols - 35%
Trend analysis on what is happening reducing biodiversity impacts in construction more broadly - 35%
Trend analysis on what is happening on reducing biodiversity impacts during product manufacturing more broadly - 30%
New materials educational conference track at Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ Conference - 29%
Grants to prototype low and zero biodiversity impact manufacturing processes - 23%
Interdisciplinary conference with a university LA program on biodiversity protection research - 23%
Market research reports - 15%
Grants to fund biodiversity protection at my organization - 13%

Additional comments from the landscape architecture community:

¡°Mandate the use of Floristic Quality Analysis in NEPA and avoidance of impacts to high quality ecosystems on state- and federally-funded projects.¡±

¡°Work directly with and help fund regional biodiversity organizations that are more adept at identifying specific issues affecting biodiversity at a local level.¡±

¡°Grants/subsidies to incentivize incorporating restored, functioning habitat in landscape projects.¡±

¡°Basic biodiversity education for firm principals and expanded plant, insect knowledge.¡±

¡°Advocate for expanding protected areas and preserves around the world. Advocate for compact town and city patterns, including mixed-use, multi-story zoning throughout the U.S.¡±