We need buildings – but they do use a lot of resources. The Staff Working Document on “Life Cycle Approaches to Decarbonise European Buildings”  supports EU, national and local-level authorities and building professionals in the move to decarbonise buildings.

This document:

• provides guidance on how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from buildings across their entire life cycle, from design and construction to use, renovation and eventual demolition.
• introduces and operationalises the concept of “whole-life carbon”, a key step in accelerating the decarbonisation of Europe’s building stock while strengthening competitiveness, resilience and affordability.
• supports the EU’s climate objectives while improving the efficient use of materials and reducing waste across the built environment.
• provides an overview of how different policy measures can work together to reduce emissions across the building sector at both building and building-stock levels, while also helping address growing housing needs in Europe.