With greenhouse gas in the atmosphere surging to the highest levels ever recorded, carbon reduction efforts must accelerate. According to the WGBC, buildings are responsible for 39% of global energy-related carbon emissions. The world leader in construction and infrastructure LCA and EPD data, One Click LCA, provides topical data that shows where global construction can concentrate efforts to reduce emissions and improve sustainability.

Early design sustainability thinking can cut emissions in half

One Click LCA’s data shows that the carbon reduction potential in construction projects is higher when sustainability is considered from the start. One 2024 hallmark case by One Click LCA, in collaboration with industry giant AECOM, shows that emissions can be reduced by as much as 50% when decisions are made early in the design phase—when targets are set, major design decisions are made, subcontractor guidelines are defined, and the overall plan for the building and construction process is set. 

There is a big difference between the most- and least-sustainable construction materials

If the lowest carbon-emitting products are selected for all materials in a building, carbon emissions can be reduced by more than one-third. The calculations are based on One Click LCA’s database of LCA data and EPDs for +250,000 global construction products. The impact is particularly high when choosing lower-carbon emitting products for concrete and steel needs, as thermally manufactured, carbon-intensive structural materials make up a large portion of materials used in projects.

In addition, building services (MEP) represent a significant proportion of embodied carbon, according to CIBSE. In the case of a new build, building services account for 15-50%, depending on the impact scenario. In the case of a refurbishment or retrofit, building services account for 40-70% of embodied carbon emissions. MEP sector product data, however, is increasing, with leading manufacturers like Schneider Electric making transparency in MEP a sustainability priority.

Construction industry professionals lack data to make decisions

A 2024 One Click LCA study showed frustration in the industry with the lack of progress in national and international sustainability regulations, but also with the lack of EPD data available when critical project decisions are made. 87% of construction professionals surveyed see the lack of manufacturer EPDs as the primary obstacle to LCA and embodied carbon advancement. At the same time, 83% of construction professionals surveyed indicate that a lack of national regulation and policies is a barrier to LCA adoption.

“Having the ability to compare low- and high-carbon alternatives will benefit the entire construction sector to make informed decisions,” says Panu Pasanen, CEO & Founder at One Click LCA. “We must increase cooperation within the industry to drive sustainable development across the full construction value chain — and help the global construction industry ecosystem to tackle sustainability challenges on the road to net zero.”