Towards Embodied Carbon Benchmarks for Buildings in Europe – Summary Report

Developers, investors and policymakers must respond with urgency to the threatening climate and ecosystem crisis and set targets aligning with the 2015 Paris Agreement.  All participants in the new-build and building renovation value chain must cooperate to establish a standard performance system based on sustainable and cost-efficient pathways to guide the building sector and reduce embodied carbon.  Definition and agreement on standardized life cycle assessment (LCA) and carbon budget allocation are required for the standard performance framework.  Its implementation calls for a combined effort from construction project value chain participants in the building industry, certification bodies, researchers, and policymakers.