Why are climate projections important?
Climate assessments provide a clear picture of a construction project’s climate impact throughout its entire life cycle. By analyzing materials, transportation, energy, and waste, you gain a more detailed understanding of where emissions are highest. This is crucial for taking action and making better choices that lead to reduced climate impact. It’s not just a matter of meeting legal requirements—it’s also an opportunity to drive positive change and become a pioneer in sustainable construction.
1. Start small – Pilot projects are your friend
If your organization is new to climate impact assessments, it’s important not to try to take on too much right away. A good way to get started is to begin with a pilot project, preferably one that’s in a later stage of the construction process. That way, you can conduct a climate impact assessment under relatively simple conditions and with low risk. By starting small, you’ll learn how the process works and get a sense of what constitutes “a lot” or “a little” when it comes to climate impact.
The pilot project can also serve as an opportunity to familiarize yourself with the Climate Declaration Act and understand how your organization can meet these requirements in a smooth and seamless manner.
2. Standard Projects – Establish a baseline to work from
Once you’ve conducted a climate assessment on a pilot project, the next step is to apply those lessons to a more traditional project. This will help you establish a baseline—a reference point—for measuring your performance. If you want to take it a step further, once you have a good understanding of your current situation, you can start planning more ambitious projects where climate impact is taken into account right from the early planning stages.
3. For those with higher ambitions – Create a strategic vision
Once you understand your climate impact and have established a baseline, those of you with higher ambitions can begin to consider more strategic goals. Which climate impacts do you want to reduce in the long term? In which areas can you make improvements to achieve these goals? With a clear picture of where you stand today, you can start planning for the future and work more proactively to reduce your impact.
For those of you who are already working strategically on climate issues, it is important to perform climate calculations at every stage of the construction process. This gives you a clear picture of where measures can be implemented at low cost and with the greatest possible impact.
4. For those with basic goals – Stay up to date on legal requirements and certifications
Not all municipalities and public housing companies have the same ambitions, and that’s perfectly fine! If your organization hasn’t yet set more ambitious climate goals or certification requirements, an important first step could be to stay up to date on legislation and the basic requirements that are currently in place or in the works in Europe, such as climate declarations. Ensure that you comply with these requirements and start building an internal process to meet them in a time- and cost-effective manner.
Why use Plant for climate calculations?
If this is your first time performing a climate calculation, Plant can be an invaluable resource. There are several reasons why our tool can make the process both smoother and more cost-effective:
- Compiles existing data
Climate calculations require a complete overview of all material quantities in a project. This can be time-consuming and demand a significant effort from the project team, but Plant can automatically gather all existing data from various sources. This saves both time and money. - 3D Visualization
One of the biggest advantages of Plant is our ability to visualize climate impacts in 3D. This makes it easier to understand what drives these impacts and allows users to test different materials and building systems. - Free advice from experts
We offer free tips and tricks from our leading sustainability specialists and LCA experts to help you get started quickly and make the right choices.
Ready to get started?
Getting started with climate calculations doesn’t have to be complicated, even if it may seem difficult and complex at first. By starting small with a pilot project and gradually building on your knowledge, you can establish a solid foundation. Regardless of your level of ambition, tools like Plant allow you to work strategically and efficiently to reduce the climate impact of your construction projects while saving time, money, and resources.
Keep track of developments, understand your material usage, and start with small steps—and you’ll be well on your way to creating more sustainable buildings and processes!
