How to Calculate the Embodied Carbon in Your Project

The challenge of embodied carbon cannot be solved with political slogans or marketing claims. For the construction industry, it is a measurable and quantifiable problem, and there is a strict methodology available to address it: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).

This standardized approach – in Europe defined by EN 15978 – considers the entire life path of materials: “from cradle to grave.” That means from raw material extraction through manufacturing, transport, and construction, all the way to demolition and recycling.

The Basics: What Do You Need?

EPDs (Environmental Product Declarations):
These manufacturer-issued documents show the carbon footprint of a specific construction material. For example, how much CO₂ is released when producing one ton of cement or steel. Without EPDs, an LCA is essentially guesswork.

Digital calculation tools:

• One Click LCA (Europe): Easily integrated with BIM models, enabling designers to see the carbon impact of their decisions already in the early planning stages.

• EC3 (USA – Carbon Leadership Forum): A free database where investors and developers can instantly compare the carbon intensity of different concretes or steels. This is revolutionary: transparency forces producers to lower their carbon intensity in order to stay competitive.

International Examples

Norway – Powerhouse Projects:
These are buildings designed to produce more energy over their entire life cycle than they consume. The secret lies not only in their operation but also in minimizing embodied carbon: using local, recycled materials, shortening supply chains, and making deliberate material choices.

USA – EC3 Database:
The American market quickly realized that data-driven comparison creates a huge competitive advantage. Developers no longer blindly accept material offers: they can see which products are “dirtier” and which are cleaner. This immediately reshapes market competition.

Hungary – the Club of Volunteers

And what about Hungary? The situation is sobering. LCA is not mandatory. If a developer still decides to calculate, they are taking the “volunteer path” – with extra cost, extra effort, and often little recognition from the market.

As a result, most decisions are still made based on short-term price competition, rather than long-term sustainability. This is risky: the EU will introduce mandatory carbon limits within the next few years. Those who fail to prepare will not only fall behind but may be forced out of the market entirely.

LCA is not a luxury – it is a fundamental business necessity.

Conclusion

The question is not whether to calculate embodied carbon – but why it is not already mandatory. Countries that introduced life-cycle-based assessments are clearly ahead: more competitive, more sustainable, and better aligned with EU climate policy.

Hungary, however, still follows the strategy of “waiting until it becomes compulsory” – which is essentially a conscious preparation for competitive disadvantage.

Sources

• EN 15978 Standard – Sustainability of construction works – Assessment of environmental performance of buildings

• Carbon Leadership Forum – EC3 Tool

• One Click LCA – Building Life Cycle Assessment Software

• Powerhouse Norway – Energy positive buildings initiative