Welcome to eTool

eTool gives you the tools and expert support to understand the environmental impact of a building or infrastructure project — from early concept sketches, through design and construction, to the full life of the asset, including eventual demolition. This analysis is called a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).

LCA may sound complex, but the idea is simple: every material, energy source, and process in a building’s life has an environmental cost. eTool helps you measure these impacts, identify hotspots, and make better design decisions.

What eTool helps you do

• Measure the carbon and environmental impact at any stage — from concept to final design.
• Identify the materials, systems, or design choices driving the highest impacts.
• Compare alternative designs side by side to find lower-carbon solutions.
• Access a library of pre-built datasets and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) from around the world.
• Produce reports that meet international standards and rating schemes.
• Verify your LCA through independent review by qualified LCA experts.

How eTool is structured
eTool guides you through four stages:

• Measure — Input your project data; eTool calculates environmental impacts across the full lifecycle using internationally-aligned datasets.
• Improve — Explore analysis results, identify hotspots, and model design alternatives to reduce impacts.
• Verify — Submit your LCA for independent review by a Cerclos LCA coach to confirm it meets required standards.
• Report — Generate a client-ready report that complies with international standards and rating schemes.

Where to start
Not sure where to go next? Here are the best starting points:

• Never used eTool before? → Your first project: a guided walkthrough
• Not familiar with LCA? → What is LCA? A plain-language introduction
• Working towards a specific standard or rating scheme? → Standards & frameworks
• Setting up eTool for your whole organisation? → Organisation account setup