Energy in Building Materials

I am an architect involved various community based projects and for some time have been trying to specify materials with low embodied energy. I remember paying a small amount of money to Deakin University many years ago (early 90s) as a subscription to work on a Green Specification but do not know what came of it. It seems incredibly difficult to audit materials from the outside. Surely it could be made to be the responsibility of the manufacturer to provide the information (just like tar content in cigarettes). A problem here is that a lot of building materials travel a long way from point of manufacture to point of use, so the distributor would also need to be involved. If this could happen then there would be more incentive to use local materials which may help in stemming the global homogeneity of modern building aesthetics and help local economies. Does any one know of any programs either in regulation or in research?

Regards
Geoff Crosby

CROSBY architects
Mob 0425 750 363
Tel 03 9687 6997
Fax 03 9687 6995