Buildings represent a significant environmental impact (their energy use alone representing 40% of US greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions). The residential sector is an important contributor and in addition to energy use, material production, maintenance and disposal are important aspects of the building sector's environmental impact. Although policy makers and industry leaders may be motivated to reduce impacts, it is not always clear what actions are most effective. Clear trade-offs exist; for example improved energy efficiency may come at a cost of added material production burden and/or earlier senescence of existing structures. Although LCA hold significant potential for informing decisions in this sector, complexity and variability of the residential structures in question pose challenges for identifying the most effective actions in this area. This session will explore these issues by illustrating recent examples of research and actions in this sector

The session will begin with an overview of a recent LCA of residential buildings performed for the host state of Oregon. Results will be presented to highlight how LCA can be used to understand the environmental impact of homes and the state-wide housing stock, as well as potential benefits of alternative areas for action. This will be followed by remarks  from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality offering state policy perspectives on the project, including the State of Oregon's rationale for launching the project, their experience in participating in the project and a summary of potential uses of the findings. This will be followed by a presentation of perspectives from industry leaders on how LCA results can be used within the industry to identify and implement the proper solutions. This presentation will include the perspective of both home builders, as well as thought leaders within the green building and energy rating field.  The session will conclude with a specific focus on opportunities for using LCA in selecting building materials and recent developments in promoting the use of Environmental Product Declarations in this sector.