Analysis of Life-Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of EU Buildings and Construction
Study background
Over their whole life cycle, buildings account for around 40% of CO2 emissions in the EU as recent studies using bottom-up modelling of the building stock indicate. Reducing emissions from the building sector and construction ecosystem will therefore play a key role for achieving the targets of a climate neutral Europe by 2050, as set out in the European Climate Law.
There is a growing recognition of the need to tackle embodied emissions and carbon removals alongside a continued focus on reducing emissions from the energy used to operate buildings. Recent policy initiatives on the EU and national level have highlighted the importance of such a whole life carbon (WLC) emission approach.
At present, however, only limited information on whole life carbon emissions of buildings is available in a format that allows in-depth comparison between countries, building types, and emission reduction strategies including design and policy choices. This is especially the case when considering the larger scale, at the level of national and EU building stocks.
Establishing an accurate picture of Europe’s building stock
To address this, the European Commission has initiated a preparatory action aimed at developing a better understanding of WLC emissions and carbon removals of buildings and construction in the EU. This analysis will help establish a more accurate picture of the climate impact of Europe’s building stock and the associated construction activity. It will also aim to inform the design and proper implementation of effective building- and construction-related policies.
The work in this project builds upon efforts and findings from the study ‘Supporting the development of a roadmap for the reduction of whole life carbon of buildings’, launched by the European Commission in 2021.
The study is conducted by Ramboll Management Consulting in a consortium with BPIE, KU Leuven, TU Graz, Aalborg University, Politecnico di Milano, and IIASA. It will run until the summer of 2025.
Study objective
This study will enable a clearer understanding of the effects and feasibility of applying life-cycle emissions reduction and carbon removal strategies at the EU and national level.
The objectives are:
- Model the whole life carbon impact of the EU building stock and the associated construction, renovation and demolition activity on emissions and carbon removals.
- Assess and compare strategies for whole life carbon emissions reduction and removal, within the perspective of reaching climate neutrality and resilience in 2050.
- Improve the availability of data to assess the whole life carbon impact of the EU building stock.
- Propose a methodology to further improve data availability for the future and to continuously monitor whole life carbon emissions beyond the study period.
Consultation and engagement with key stakeholders within the building and construction sector will be an essential part of our work. This will ensure that the study output benefits from the wealth of expertise and knowledge available across the EU.
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Timeline and activities
Below you can learn more about activities, project milestones and reports that have been published so far.
Click and unfold the activity you want to know more about.
2023 Q1 - 2023 Q4: Collection of available data and information on whole life carbon emissions
The objective of this task is to collect information on the current situation regarding whole life carbon at the level of the EU building stock. It consists of two parts:
- Investigate existing sources of relevant whole-life carbon data and current data gaps.
- Identify the most promising carbon reduction and removal strategies, considering the national and regional context for the implementation of such strategies in EU Member States.
To improve our understanding of the current situation and potential reduction and removal strategies we will engage with national competent authorities as well as building and construction industry experts.
Report: Existing sources of whole life carbon data and current data gaps
Report: Mapping of carbon reduction and removal strategies
2023 Q2 - 2023 Q4: Baseline analysis for whole life carbon emissions in the EU building stock
A quantitative baseline will be developed to understand the current whole life carbon emissions and carbon removals associated with buildings and construction across the EU. This will include the characterisation of building stocks and building archetypes at EU Member State level and assessment of life cycle GHG emissions, environmental hotspots, and carbon removals.
Building-level LCA results will then be upscaled to inform macro-level analysis of the building stock, covering both EU and national/regional levels.
Report: Quantitative baseline analysis for whole life carbon and carbon removals
2023 Q2 – 2024 Q4: Collection and generation of new data for scenario modelling
New data will be collected and generated to improve the modelling of future scenarios addressing whole life carbon emissions in the EU building stock.
The aim is to build a comprehensive body of data, enabling assessment results at a level of detail that goes well beyond what has been achieved in recent relevant studies.
Report: Methodology for collecting and generating new data
2023 Q2 – 2024 Q4: Modelling of future whole life carbon scenarios
This activity will provide quantitative results of future scenarios on whole life carbon emission, by applying the identified carbon reduction and removal strategies.
The results will demonstrate the effects of applying the chosen strategies within the perspective of reaching climate neutrality and resilience in 2050 without significantly harming other environmental goals.
2024 Q1 - 2024 Q4: Modelling tool for visualising future whole life carbon scenarios
As part of the project, a user-friendly tool will be developed to enable comparison and analysis of various combinations of carbon reduction and removal strategies that could be applied across the EU building stock.
The tool will facilitate the analysis of the strategies’ effects by providing visualizations, flexible selection of individual or combined strategies, and by providing analytical and statistical indicators, including values per capita, per floor area, per building type and per building stock activity (new, renovated etc.).
2025 Q1 - 2025 Q2: Analysis of study results and recommendations for future availability of data
A final report will be prepared with an analysis of the study results and their implications for each EU Member State, including:
- Validation of the effectiveness of carbon reduction and removal strategies
- Ranking of the most promising strategies for each Member State
- Outline of practical measures and recommendations to realise the climate mitigation potential in each Member State
The project group will also provide recommendations for improving the availability and quality of relevant data beyond the lifetime of the study. This includes a methodology for enabling continuous monitoring of whole life carbon emissions at the building stock level.
Let's get in touch
Let's get in touch
For specific questions regarding the study and the stakeholder consultation activities, please contact: WholelifecarbonEU@ramboll.com
Get in touch directly with the team:
Ivan Jankovic
Team Lead
BPIE
> Write an email to Ivan Jankovic
Martin Röck
Team Lead
KU Leuven
> Write an email to Martin Röck
Monica Lavagna
Associate Professor
Politecnico di Milano
> Write an email to Monica Lavanga
Endrit Hoxha
Associate Professor
Aalborg University
> Write an email to Endrit Hoxha
About the partners
Ramboll Management Consulting
Ramboll is a global consultancy delivering sustainable change across 35 countries.
With a civil-engineering legacy, Ramboll also comprises management consulting, architecture, and environmental services to deliver a holistic take on the green transition – in the buildings sector and in similar industries.
BPIE
BPIE (Buildings Performance Institute Europe) is a leading independent think tank on energy performance and climate adaptation of buildings.
Our vision is a climate-neutral built environment, aligned with the ambition of the Paris Agreement, and in support of a fair and sustainable society. We provide actionable, data-driven policy analysis, advice, and implementation support to decision-makers in Europe and globally.
KU Leuven
KU Leuven’s research group Architectural Engineering tackles innovation in the design of buildings by approaching architecture from an engineering point of view.
The emphasis is placed on the technological aspects of architecture. Structure, materials, services, and comfort requirements are considered in a multidisciplinary setting to quantify, assess, and improve the quality, cost and environmental impact of buildings and the built environment.
TU Graz
The Working Group Sustainable Construction of the Institute of Structural Design is offering a broad spectrum in the area of sustainability assessment of buildings, life cycle assessment (LCA), life cycle costing (LCC) and systemic sustainability modelling including digitalisation and multi-criteria decision models.
Our research is dedicated on sustainability assessment methods, the workflow within the building design process and the applicability in the built environment as well as their successful implementation and realisation within demonstration projects.
Politecnico di Milano
As part of Politecnoco di Milano’s departments for Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering (DABC), the research unit LifeCycleTEAM develops studies and research dealing with the design and management of built environment toward sustainability in a life cycle perspective, at different scales (materials, constructive systems, buildings, urban scale).
Aalborg University
The Department of the Build Environment at Aalborg University (BUILD) combines knowledge of civil engineering, social sciences and humanities to develop research, advice and educate within the complex issues of the urban, residential and construction area.
The focus is on climate change, urbanization, resource scarcity, and population development posing major societal challenges in which research within the field of civil engineering and the built environment play a crucial role.
IIASA
The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) is an independent, international research institute that conducts policy-oriented research into problems that are too large or complex to be solved by a single country or academic discipline.
The overarching vision of the Energy, Climate, and Environment (ECE) Program is to provide evidence-based, scientific roadmaps for feasible systems transformations that simultaneously meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ambitious climate change mitigation targets.
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