A product or system is only as low carbon as the materials and components from which it is made. More and more, companies expect their suppliers to have strong corporate and social responsibility policies that meet their own high standards. A sustainable supply chain will ultimately increase profitability. - Description added by: David Lockie

A product or system is only as low carbon as the materials and components provided they do not increase during its life the overall environmental burden  with its maintenance and repair costs. - Description added by: Andrew Schofield

Buildings are where the majority people in modern societies spend most of their time, whether in homes, commercial buildings, industrial facilities or retail complexes. The design and construction of buildings require a large investment of time, money and other resources. Then they require additional resources for running costs and maintenance. Bad design can greatly increase energy consumption over the whole lifetime of the building. Fortunately, good building design can greatly reduce energy consumption during construction and ongoing throughout a building's life. - Description added by: David Lockie