Climate requirements for new buildings affect the entire industry
Climate requirements for new buildings place greater demands on documentation for products, components and materials. This affects not only construction, but the entire industrial supply chain, because products may end up as part of a new building – and must therefore be documented from an LCA perspective.
Documentation is becoming more important throughout the value chain
Climate and environmental considerations have become an integral part of modern business operations. Stricter climate requirements for new buildings bring a greater need for transparency, enabling companies to document the carbon footprint of their products and solutions.
This means that documentation is not only relevant to manufacturers of building materials. Industrial components and solutions may also be covered if they are incorporated into a new building. The requirements therefore have implications for suppliers, manufacturers and partners both within and outside Europe.
EPD and LCA are becoming key concepts
When a product’s carbon footprint needs to be documented, this is typically done through an Environmental Product Declaration, also known as an EPD. An EPD is based on data about the product’s environmental impact and enables products to be compared on a more evidence-based basis.
The assessment must be viewed from an LCA perspective. LCA stands for Life Cycle Assessment and describes the product’s impact throughout its life cycle – from raw materials and production to use, reuse or disposal.
How climate requirements affect industry
The Building Regulations set documentation requirements and carbon footprint limits for new buildings. In practice, this means that manufacturers must be prepared to provide documentation for their products, as they do not always know whether the components will later be used in a construction project.
For industrial companies, this means gaining a better overview of data, documentation and supply chains. The earlier documentation is considered, the easier it becomes to meet requirements from customers, consultants and partners.
When working with climate requirements and product documentation, you should pay particular attention to:
- Whether the product or component can be incorporated into a new building
- Whether an EPD is available for the product
- Which data are included in the product’s carbon footprint
- How the carbon footprint is documented from an LCA perspective
- Which materials, processes and resources affect the assessment
- Whether suppliers can provide the necessary documentation
- How the documentation can be used in ESG work
- Whether future tightening of requirements could affect product selection and purchasing
Climate requirements are closely linked to ESG
Stricter documentation requirements in construction are part of a broader trend in which companies must be able to demonstrate how they address climate, environmental issues and responsible business operations. ESG, Environmental, Social and Governance, has become a key concept in this development.
For the largest companies, ESG is already part of their reporting, but the requirements also affect smaller companies, as they often supply larger customers with their own documentation obligations. Data on products, materials and carbon footprints are therefore becoming more important throughout the supply chain.
Climate requirements therefore create both pressure to provide documentation and an opportunity to gain a better overview. Greater transparency around carbon footprints, material data and product selection gives companies a stronger basis for reducing their impact and making more responsible technical choices.
Climate and documentation requirements
Do you need an overview of EPD, LCA and documentation requirements?
Hans Buch provides technical advice to help you understand the requirements and their implications for product selection and the supply chain.