ASTM E2432-23

Standard Guide for General Principles of Sustainability Relative to the Built Environment

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 The built environment has environmental, economic, and social impacts. These impacts occur at all life-cycle stages in multiple ways and on local, regional, and global scales. It is imperative to understand the nature of these impacts and their relationship to the general principles of sustainability in order to address the opportunities and challenges they present.  
4.1.1 It is necessary to identify the environmental impacts in order to promote the positive and mitigate the negative.  
4.1.2 It is necessary to quantify the economic impacts in order to improve life-cycle costs and benefits.  
4.1.3 It is necessary to identify the social impacts in order to contribute to a positive quality of life for current and future generations.  
4.2 The general principles of sustainability—environmental, economic, and social—are interrelated. Decisions founded on the opportunities and challenges of any of the principles will have impacts relative to all of the principles. However, to facilitate clarity in the presentation of the general principles, they are discussed individually in Section 5.  
4.3 The practical application of the general principles of sustainability relies upon balancing environmental, economic, and social impacts and committing to continual improvement. Section 6 discusses this balancing of environmental, economic, and social impacts in pursuit of sustainability.  
4.4 This guide provides an overview of sustainability, as it is applicable to the built environment. This guide provides general guidance but does not prescribe a specific course of action.  
4.5 This guide is intended to inform professionals associated with the building industry.  
4.5.1 The general principles identified in this guide are intended to assist users in making decisions that advance sustainability.  
4.5.2 The general principles identified in this guide are intended to inform the development and refinement of tools and standards to qualify and quantify impacts of the bu...
SCOPE
1.1 There are three general principles of sustainability: environmental, economic, and social. This guide covers application of the fundamental concepts and associated characteristics for each of the general principles of sustainability to the built environment.  
1.2 This guide identifies general methodologies associated with the decision-making process used in pursuing sustainability.  
1.3 The general principles identified in this guide are applicable to all life-cycle stages of design and construction within the built environment.  
1.4 A variety of tools and standards exist that qualify and quantify impacts of the built environment in terms of the general principles of sustainability. It is not within the scope of this standard to recreate or replace these tools.  
1.5 This guide does not provide direction as to the specific implementation of the general principles; nor does it provide direction as to the specific weighting of principles necessary for achieving balance between competing goals.  
1.6 Applying the principles in this guide will require professional judgment. Such judgment should be informed by experience with environmental, economic, and social issues as appropriate to the use, type, scale, and location.  
1.7 This guide offers an organized collection of information or a series of options but does not recommend a specific course of action. This document cannot replace education, experience, or community dialogue. Not all aspects of this guide may be applicable in all circumstances. This ASTM standard is not intended to represent or replace the standard of care by which the adequacy of a given professional service must be judged, nor should this document be applied without consideration of a project’s many unique aspects.  
1.8 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish a...

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 31-Mar-2023
• ICS: 91.040.01 - Buildings in general
• Technical Committee: E60 - Sustainability
• Drafting Committee: E60.01 - Buildings and Construction

Standards Content (Sample)

This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
Designation: E2432 − 23
Standard Guide for
General Principles of Sustainability Relative to the Built
1
Environment
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E2432; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope 1.8 This standard does not purport to address all of the
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
1.1 There are three general principles of sustainability:
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
environmental, economic, and social. This guide covers appli-
priate safety, health, and environmental practices and deter-
cation of the fundamental concepts and associated character-
mine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
istics for each of the general principles of sustainability to the
1.9 This international standard was developed in accor-
built environment.
dance with internationally recognized principles on standard-
1.2 This guide identifies general methodologies associated
ization established in the Decision on Principles for the
with the decision-making process used in pursuing sustainabil-
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recom-
ity.
mendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical
Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
1.3 The general principles identified in this guide are
applicable to all life-cycle stages of design and construction
2. Referenced Documents
within the built environment.
2
2.1 ASTM Standards:
1.4 A variety of tools and standards exist that qualify and
E631 Terminology of Building Constructions
quantify impacts of the built environment in terms of the
E917 Practice for Measuring Life-Cycle Costs of Buildings
general principles of sustainability. It is not within the scope of
and Building Systems
this standard to recreate or replace these tools.
E2114 Terminology for Sustainability
1.5 This guide does not provide direction as to the specific
3
2.2 ISO Standard:
implementation of the general principles; nor does it provide
ISO 14040 Life Cycle Assessment
direction as to the specific weighting of principles necessary
for achieving balance between competing goals.
3. Terminology
1.6 Applying the principles in this guide will require pro-
3.1 Definitions:
fessional judgment. Such judgment should be informed by
3.1.1 For terms related to building construction, refer to
experience with environmental, economic, and social issues as
Terminology E631.
appropriate to the use, type, scale, and location.
3.1.2 For terms related to sustainability, refer to Terminol-
ogy E2114.
1.7 This guide offers an organized collection of information
3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
or a series of options but does not recommend a specific course
3.2.1 built environment, n—structures, infrastructure, and
of action. This document cannot replace education, experience,
landscapes constructed or modified for human purposes.
or community dialogue. Not all aspects of this guide may be
3.2.1.1 Discussion—The built environment includes all
applicable in all circumstances. This ASTM standard is not
structures and other areas manipulated for the purposes of
intended to represent or replace the standard of care by which
human activity including, but not limited to, housing,
the adequacy of a given professional service must be judged,
commerce, manufacturing, and recreation. The built environ-
nor should this document be applied without consideration of
ment includes all infrastructure, utility, and other systems
a project’s many unique aspects.
2
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
1
This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E60 on Sustainability contact ASTM Customer Service at [e-mail]. For Annual Book of ASTM
and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E60.01 on Buildings and Construc- Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
tion. the ASTM website.
3
Current edition approved April 1, 2023. Published May 2023. Originally Available from International Organization for Standardization (ISO), ISO
approved in 2005. Last previous edition approved in 2019 as E2432 – 19. DOI: Central Secretariat, BIBC II, Chemin de Blandonnet 8, CP 401, 1214 Vernier,
10.1520/E2432-23. Geneva, Switzerland, http://www.iso.org.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
1

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...

This document is not an ASTM standard and is intended only to provide the user of an ASTM standard an indication of what changes have been made to the previous version. Because
it may not be technically possible to adequately depict all changes accurately, ASTM recommends that users consult prior editions as appropriate. In all cases only the current version
of the standard as published by ASTM is to be considered the official document.
Designation: E2432 − 19 E2432 − 23
Standard Guide for
General Principles of Sustainability Relative to Buildingsthe
1
Built Environment
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E2432; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope
1.1 Sustainabilty has three types of general principles: There are three general principles of sustainability: environmental,
economic, and social. This guide covers application of the fundamental concepts and associated building characteristics for each
of the general principles of sustainability.sustainability to the built environment.
1.2 This guide distinguishes between ideal sustainability and applied sustainability. Ideally, human activities would not require
making trade-offs among environmental, economic, and social goals. However, this guide recognizes that, in applying
sustainability principles to buildings, decision makers must often balance opportunities and challenges associated with each of the
general principles.
1.2 This guide identifies general methodologies associated with the decision-making process used in pursuing sustainability.
1.3 This guide addresses buildings individually and in aggregate (collectively).The general principles identified in this guide are
applicable to all life-cycle stages of design and construction within the built environment.
1.4.1 The general principles identified in this guide are applicable to all scales of building projects, including: interior spaces,
individual buildings and groups of buildings, infrastructure systems, and land use.
1.4.2 The general principles identified in this guide are applicable to all life-cycle stages of a building and its components,
including: material extraction, product manufacturing, product transportation, planning, siting, design, specification, construction,
operation, maintenance, renovation, retrofit, reuse, deconstruction, and waste disposal of buildings.
1.4 A variety of tools and standards exist that qualify and quantify impacts of buildings, building materials, and building methods
the built environment in terms of one or more of the general principles of sustainability. It is not within the scope of this standard
to recreate or replace these tools.
1.5 This guide does not provide direction as to the specific implementation of the general principles; nor does it provide direction
as to the specific weighting of principles necessary for achieving balance.balance between competing goals.
1.6 Applying the principles in this guide will require professional judgment. Such judgment should be informed by experience
with environmental, economic, and social issues as appropriate to the building use, type, scale, and location.
1
This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E60 on Sustainability and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E60.01 on Buildings and Construction.
Current edition approved July 1, 2019April 1, 2023. Published July 2019May 2023. Originally approved in 2005. Last previous edition approved in 20172019 as
E2432E2432 – 19.–17. DOI: 10.1520/E2432–19.10.1520/E2432-23.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
1

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E2432 − 23
1.7 This guide offers an organized collection of information or a series of options andbut does not recommend a specific course
of action. This document cannot replace education or experience and should be used in conjunction with professional judgment.
education, experience, or community dialogue. Not all aspects of this guide may be applicable in all circumstances. This ASTM
standard is not intended to represent or replace the standard of care by which the adequacy of a given professional service must
be judged, nor should this document be applied without consideration of a project’s many unique aspects. The word “Standard”
in the title of this document means only that the document has been approved through the ASTM consensus process.
1.8 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility
of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of
regulatory limitations prior t
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