Quality Label in Buildings and Construction – a Green Label Supporting the Sustainability of Buildings in Slovenia

Abstract

Sustainable actions in the building sector need to be supported by appropriate quality assurance (QA) and control protocols and tools. In late 1990s the first – and to this date the only comprehensive – quality label for construction products and services was established in Slovenia: the Quality Label in Buildings and Construction (ZKG). It is a voluntary green label addressing not only the specific technical characteristics of products and services, but among other also the production process quality, internal QA schemes, regular training and education of staff, innovation and development activities, economic aspects, the impact of the activities on the environment, and the social role of the company in the local area. In this way it addresses the three core pillars of sustainability. The label has gained a prominent status and is being referred to in calls for tenders both in public and private sectors and in national subsidy schemes. The paper presents the structure and content of the assessment scheme and ranking system exposing their core elements. A more detailed approach is presented on the case of a window as a construction product and on the case of installation of windows as a service, underlining the positive role of the label with regard to raising the quality standards in the building sector on the national level.