Construction and real estate (Contech and Proptech)

The value chain for the construction and real estate sector in Sweden, in the EU and globally is extensive and includes several different emission-intensive steps. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimates that globally, the sector accounts for 35% of final energy use and around 38% of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions - or over 20% of total global emissions - including the emissions created by the energy production required for, for example, heating, electricity and the production of building materials. In the EU, the heating of commercial buildings alone accounts for 12% of total EU emissions. Emissions from the construction and real estate sector at all stages of the life cycle - from construction, use, renovation and demolition - are estimated to account for as much as 36% of total emissions. Both globally and within the EU, the high emissions from the sector are due to the high fossil fuel intensity of energy production.

Swedish emissions from the heating of buildings and premises and the electricity needed to power them are low in an international context because the Swedish electricity mix has very little fossil fuel content. The Swedish construction and real estate sector, on the other hand, gives rise to significant emissions in other parts of the value chain. According to the Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning, total emissions from the sector were 11.7 million tons of CO2e in 2019 - equivalent to 21% of total emissions in Sweden. If emissions from imported products and services linked to the sector are included, such as environmentally hazardous chemicals, the sector generated as much as 19.3 million tons of CO2e in the same year - almost 38% of total territorial emissions.

Example 2: 3D modeling enables climate impact reduction in the construction sector

The challenge: A significant share of the emissions generated by a building from a life cycle perspective occurs during the construction process itself. According to figures from the Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning, construction activities for new buildings generated domestic emissions of almost 5 million tons of CO2e in 2019, and about 10 million tons of CO2e if emissions from imported goods and services are also included. These emissions include, among others, processes related to the production of various construction materials such as cement, steel and iron products. In its 2018 roadmap to decarbonization, the construction sector states that the climate impact of the production of building materials is the main source of emissions in the construction phase and that this stage accounts for around 80% of its climate impact.

Solution : The solution: Since a large proportion of the emissions generated by a building occur early in the value chain, there is great potential in reducing emissions by making conscious choices as early as possible in the construction process regarding materials and building design. By digitizing the planning and design phase and combining it with data on the emissions caused by different materials, construction industry actors can make choices that reduce the climate impact of the building already at the drawing board. The architecture and engineering consultancy Sweco has developed the C3 Carbon Cost Compass service, a digital calculation tool with a direct link to a 3D model that makes it possible to see the emissions that material choices and compositions in different parts of the building can lead to in a finished building. The tool offers the opportunity to compare different materials based on climate calculation, cost calculation, relevant comparison data and in accordance with the Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning's requirements for climate declaration. With the solution, actors in the construction sector can, with a few simple keystrokes, see, for example, how the use of wood materials instead of steel for certain building components in a project can reduce the climate impact by an estimated 70%.

Technology : Digital 3D modeling and emissions calculation: Digital 3D modeling and emissions calculation

Partners: Sweco and ByggVesta