It is acknowledged that reducing GHG emissions from human activities is crucial, and the construction sector, which accounts for a third of these emissions, must play its part.

While numerous initiatives focus on existing buildings, aiming first to reduce energy consumption and then transition to carbon-free energy sources, very few national regulations require the calculation of carbon emissions across a building’s entire life cycle. There are almost no regulatory safeguards in place to limit emissions associated with construction (embodied carbon), unlike those 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).