LCA and EPD

The climate impact from construction and building materials

At Sweco, we target the climate impact of construction through life cycle assessments (LCA) of buildings and building materials in the early design stages.

Buildings and their impact on the climate – LCA

We have experience with the climate impact of construction through more than 120 construction projects, including offices, housing, daycare centres, new construction and renovations. We also have experience in preparing life cycle assessments according to various standards such as the Danish “den frivillige bæredygtighedsklasse” (FBK, The Voluntary Sustainability Class), DGNB, or national standards from the UK, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and others.

Building materials and their impact on climate – EPD (Environmental Product Declaration)

It is essential to have product-specific environmental product declarations for each construction product or industry to be able to calculate the climate impact of a building accurately. These are called industrywide (or sector) EPDs. We prepare an EPD by means of a life cycle assessment, that we have verified by an independent third party after which it is published on a recognized EPD platform such as EPD-Danmark.

Here at Sweco, we prepare environmental product declarations for construction products and offer guidance to manufacturers on optimizing production processes to minimize climate impact and other environmental effects. The environmental product declarations, which are used by LCA consultants, architects, and engineers, are typically included in the calculation of a building’s climate impact through a building LCA. These are prepared in connection with DGNB certification of a building and the climate requirement in the Danish building regulations that came into force on January 1, 2023. By leveraging various types of life cycle assessments, we deliver significant value that our clients benefit from through our consultancy services.