Everyone agrees that it is crucial to reduce GHG emissions from human activities, and construction, which accounts for a third of these emissions, is no exception.

Many initiatives exist regarding existing buildings, with the aim of first reducing energy consumption, then using carbon-free energy sources. However, very few national regulations require calculation of the carbon emissions over the whole life-cycle of buildings. There are almost no regulatory safeguards to limit emissions related to construction (embodied carbon), unlike emissions related to energy consumption (operational carbon).

There are many discrepancies across Europe in the use of Life-Cycle Analysis (LCA); different indicators, study periods, scopes, and reference areas are used. Building upon key existing standards and frameworks^[1], the methodology fostered by LCBI aims to harmonize the measurement and practice of Life-Cycle Analysis across Europe with a pure carbon indicator (kgCO₂e/m²), consistent with local regulations.

Addressing this, LCBI has developed a unique method to measure carbon footprints of buildings across their entire lifecycle, with limit values, basis of a certification scheme for low-carbon buildings. This method also aligns with major European standards (Taxonomy, Level(s), CRREM, RICS).

Publicly available on LCBI website, this unified European methodology simplifies the quantification and comparison of building carbon footprints, fostering decarbonization across Europe.

[1] EN15978 (LCA at building level), EN15804 (LCA at product level), instructions and guidance from Level(s).