| dc.description.abstract | The rational use of materials in the construction industry and the responsibility this sector has towards the environment has been object of research in the academia over the past few decades. In this context, the environmental certifications have arisen to guide the involved in the processes, seeking to reduce the environmental impacts caused by this sector. The analysis conducted in this study is based on the different approaches the concepts of eco-efficiency and eco-effectiveness brought on the subject. The main goal of this essay is to analyze, at the light of eco-efficiency and eco-effectiveness, the criteria evolution of an environmental certification program designed for buildings (LEED) over the course of time. As specific objectives, this study evaluates: (i) the updates of the certification program criteria for the design stage and operations and maintenance stage from version v3 (2009) to version v4 (2016); (ii) the comparison between the score achieved by a certificated building, taking in consideration the criteria of the certification program’s current version and its previous version; (iii) the aspects of eco-efficiency and eco-effectiveness of the certificated building. Each of the conditions of versions v3 (2009) and v4 (2016) of both the design certification and operations and maintenance certification has been analyzed in order to evaluate the updates over the course of time. This analysis showed significant changes in the certification, with the inclusion of new typologies and important concerns, such as the Integrative Process and the establishment of a new category exclusively for Location and Transportation. The evaluation of the building under the conditions of the latest version of the program was performed through visits and interviews with its operators. A comparison between the building scores obtained in versions v3 (2009) and v4 (2016) showed a decrease in the latter. The building achieved a total of 82 points on the operations and maintenance certification, reaching the Platinum category, despite the lower score on the design certification, due to the practices required by the program already being performed by its operators. Finally, the certification and certified building were evaluated against the aspects of eco-efficiency and eco-effectiveness in order to verify if the generation of good impacts on the environment are taken into consideration or if they rely solely on the reduction of bad impacts. The study revealed that the certification analyzed is seeking the generation of good impacts and technology innovation, although these concepts are still verified in a just few credits. | en |
