Analysis of Life-Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Removals of EU Buildings and Construction

Greenhouse gas emissions must be radically cut across all sectors to achieve the EU Green Deal climate objectives of a 55% reduction by 2030 (compared to 1990 levels) and climate neutrality by 2050. Mitigation in the building sector and construction ecosystem plays a key role, being responsible for 36% of emissions and 40% of energy consumption in the EU. The building sector must reduce its emissions by 60% compared to 2015 to achieve these targets. However, to completely decarbonise the EU building stock a structural transformation is needed, addressing not only the use phase of buildings by energy efficiency measures via renovation and standards for new buildings, but also reducing the embodied emissions from production, construction, renovation and end-of-life.

This study, led by Ramboll, together with BPIE, KU Leuven, TU Graz, Aalborg University, Politecnico di Milano, and IIASA, and funded by the European Commission, will enable a clearer understanding of the effects and feasibility of applying life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions reduction and carbon removal strategies for buildings and construction at the EU and national level.  

The Specific Objectives are: 

1. Model the whole life cycle impact of the EU building stock and the associated construction, renovation and demolition activity on GHG emissions and carbon removals.

2. Assess and compare strategies for whole life cycle GHG reduction and carbon removal, within the perspective of reaching climate neutrality and resilience in 2050 without harming significantly other environmental goals.

3. Improve the availability of data to analyse whole life cycle GHG reduction and carbon removals.