Service life planning calls for characterisation and classification of the exposure environment for the constructed asset(s) in question. Lack of knowledge of environmental exposure data and models among the building sector players is an important barrier for further progress towards service life prediction. The ever more evident climate change highlights even more the need for data and models on the exposure, when it comes to address its impact on the built environment. In general, requirements for establishing and implementing systems for quantitative characterisation and classification of durability of materials and components are: 1) well defined, and relatively simple damage functions for the materials in question, 2) availability of environmental exposure data/loads, including methods and models for assessing their geographical distribution, and 3) user friendly IT systems for storage, processing and modelling the environmental loads onto structures. Service life functions related to environmental degradation are today available for a range of building materials and components. As for availability of environmental data and models, as well as proper IT systems, it is shown that for most European countries, such data and models are available from meteorological offices and the environmental research area, and that these data and the work performed are directly applicable for service life planning and life cycle management of constructed assets. A short review of some of the most applicable models for environmental exposure and for degradation and damage of building materials and structures is included. The global climate system is likely to undergo changes, regardless of the implementation of abatement policies under the Kyoto Protocol or other regimes. Both the functionality of the existing built environment and the design of future buildings are likely to be altered by climate change impacts, and the expected implications of these new conditions are now investigated. The data and models are often directly exhibited in computer-based systems, often on GIS based platforms. With the rapid development of IFC based standards for digital object oriented models of building products there is a huge need for property sets, such as durability and service life data, linked directly to the building elements. The significant drive within the AEC/IFC community to provide for relevant location based data (GIS) via IFC format will be a major facilitator for access to site specific durability data, described by degradation models containing environmental (and other) degradation factors.