The Pharos Framework provides the descriptions of each of the impact categories that the Pharos system addresses and the protocols through which they are evaluated.

Each category has the following elements in its framework:

• Problem: Statement of the impacts this wedge is addressing
• Goal: What can be done to address the problem
• Ideal: The attributes of a product that would be considered ideal for this wedge and would get the highest rating
• Scoring Protocol: The data items Pharos collects and how this data is evaluated into a 10 point rating
• Definitions: Terms used in the evaluation
• Issues: Outstanding issues that remain to be addressed to improve the framework

Category Areas

The Pharos categories are grouped into three general areas of concern:

Health & Pollution

Building materials are associated with health impacts on the building occupant, the fenceline communities near the supply chain of the manufacturing process and the global community. Healthy building products avoid use of materials that cause health and environmental damage from cancer to global warming, in resource extraction, refinement, and production as well as in use and end of life.

Environment & Resources

Every stage of a product's fabrication expends resources and yields waste. Green product design will reduce usage of energy and water for the manufacture and ongoing operation of building products; maximize use of renewable energy, reduce waste and habitat destruction and set up closed loop material cycles to infinitely recycle materials into new products.

Social & Community

A company is responsible for more than the products it sells. A company's operations impact the well being of employees and the community in which it operates. Manufacturers have a responsibility to ensure safe working conditions with fair pay and equitable opportunities, to actively engage with and support the local community and to reporting on and improve their overall corporate impact.