Policies to Reduce Whole-Life Carbon in the Built Environment

Whole-life carbon (WLC) emissions from buildings, encompassing both operational and embodied emissions, contribute 40 % of global CO₂ emissions. However, measures to tackle embodied emissions have lagged.

This analysis compares EU and Swedish policies to reduce WLC in the built environment, mapping gaps and opportunities across buildings’ life cycle stages.

Sweden’s life cycle-based building regulations provide valuable lessons, but further EU support is needed to harmonize and implement effective WLC frameworks across Member States.