Selection of green building materials

It is estimated that the built environment generates 38% of the CO{dollar}sb2{dollar} released into the atmosphere, contributing to the "green house effect". Construction materials should be sensitive to environmental concerns, limited natural resources and damage they cause to the ecosystem. This awareness is known as sustainable design. The approach of using environmentally sensitive building materials should be adopted by those who are responsible for the built environment.; This thesis offers a practical approach to streamlining the identification and selection of "green" sustainable materials. A weighted analysis system was developed which compares materials and products against environmental selection parameters. The material with the lowest total score from the analysis represents the product that is the most environmentally sensitive.