Construction site life cycle assessment: EU taxonomy and implementation in the construction industry

In 2015, the United Nations defined "17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)" in response to emerging global challenges. In 2020, the EU adopted the Taxonomy Regulation to achieve these goals. But what impact do they have on the construction industry?

A total of six environmental targets were defined across Europe as part of the EU Taxonomy Regulation. A common classification system is intended to improve and ensure the transparency and comparability of investments in sustainable projects.

Life cycle assessment is part of this and serves as one of many tools for measuring progress towards achieving the six objectives. It is determined on the basis of the life cycle analysis - from raw materials to disposal - of each individual material used in the building. The result then shows the impact of the entire building on the environment.

Implementation sounds complex, but is straightforward

Every building material used in a building is already provided with key figures and values for various environmental aspects (raw material extraction, production, transportation, construction, use phase, maintenance and demolition or disposal). These key figures and values are collected according to a standardized procedure as an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) and are available for free inspection in databases.

"Currently, manufacturers of building materials are not yet obliged to produce EPDs, but we do expect this to happen in the near future," says Lukas Röder from SCALE Umweltberatung, who supports companies in carrying out building life cycle assessments.

BIM-based life cycle assessment and the best time for it

The life cycle assessment of a building is an extensive process, says Miviso Managing Director Michael Danklmaier. With the help of Building Information Modeling (BIM), there are integrated interfaces to the respective databases. When a BIM model is uploaded, the software recognizes the materials and assigns them to the corresponding EPDs. "It is advisable to carry out a life cycle assessment before the start of construction in order to gain knowledge about the environmental impact of the materials that will be used in the future and to be able to make adjustments if necessary," says Miviso Managing Director Michael Danklmaier.

Who has to carry out a life cycle assessment and when

"From 2026, all companies with an annual average of more than 250 employees and/or more than 40 million euros in turnover and/or more than 20 million euros in total assets - two out of three criteria must be met - must report on their contribution to sustainability in the areas of ecology, social affairs and corporate governance," says Lukas Röder. The life cycle assessment of buildings is a suitable method for this.

"However, the life cycle assessment is also worthwhile for companies that do not have to provide mandatory proof. If a building has a good eco-index, there can be a number of additional benefits, such as maintaining the value of the property and better chances of obtaining (social) subsidies," says Danklmaier. Furthermore, thanks to knowledge of the materials used, the building can be more easily integrated into the circular economy after its useful life.

Expert Röder sees yet another aspect: "Although there are still no clear requirements for life cycle assessments when granting loans for new projects, it can be assumed that these will come."

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Miviso was founded in 2017 by three architecture students in Innsbruck. In addition to 3D visualizations, they specialize in the creation of BIM building models for planning and building operation. This enables them to offer building owners and planners the basis for high-quality planning and efficient building management. Several million square meters have been modelled to date. In contrast to planning and architectural offices, Miviso offers reliable delivery times and constant availability at calculable prices thanks to its specialization. As a result, customers receive a high-quality service that can be planned and calculated in terms of time and price. Miviso currently employs 23 people at locations in Innsbruck and Moldova.

This release was published on openPR.