Carbon footprint of buildings

What is a building's carbon footprint?

A building’s carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gas emissions during its full life cycle. The calculation of this parameter allows to know the amount of emissions resulting from the construction and use of the building, which opens the possibility of introducing changes aimed at reducing them. As a result, we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and minimize the negative impact of the building on the environment.

Types of carbon footprint

Built-in carbon footprint – results from the production of building materials necessary to erect the object and from the construction process itself.
Operating carbon footprint – accompanies the operation of the building. It is primarily about the energy needs of the facility for lighting, heating, cooling, ventilation, etc.

The European Union strives to decarbonise the construction industry, so it obliges member states to significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. The goal is to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings to zero by 2050.

Why calculate the carbon footprint of a building?

Calculating the carbon footprint of an organisation allows you to:

know the greenhouse gas emissions of the building,
increase awareness of the building’s impact on the environment,
compare the carbon footprint to other buildings
learn which areas generate the highest emissions,
take action to reduce the carbon footprint,
Reduce the operating cost of the building.

Building carbon footprint – how can we help you?

Calculating the carbon footprint is the first step to reducing the negative impact of a building on the environment, as well as minimising energy losses and thus operating costs. At JWA, we calculate the carbon footprint of a building through LCA analysis using One Click LCA software.