The European Union aims to be climate-neutral by 2050, requiring a fundamental transformation of the construction and building sectors.

This decade is critical as direct building CO2 emissions need to more than halve by 2030 to get on track for a net-zero carbon building stock by 2050. Emissions must be drastically cut throughout the whole lifecycle of buildings, encompassing all operational and embodied emissions. In the Renovation Wave strategy, the European Commission announced its intention to address “lifecycle thinking and circularity”; it is important that the intention is followed up by decisive action and integrated into regulatory proposals. 

This summary report introduces basic concepts and key issues related to the integration of whole-life carbon considerations in building policies.

Read the full report here.