The European Green Deal: fundamentally changing the rules in the construction sector

The European Green Deal, with its goal to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, entails significant changes in the requirements for buildings. CO₂ becomes a new currency and the CO₂ value of a building represents a major factor in all future investments and tenders.

Determining factor in future viability: tailored management of decarbonisation

In the future assessment of buildings, everything will revolve around the ‘GWP value’(i) – the global warming potential of the building across its entire lifespan. From 1 January 2028, building process managers are required to calculate the ‘global warming potential’ of every building as a GWP value and to declare this in its overall energy efficiency certification.

This requirement will apply to new buildings with a usable space of over 1000 m² and from 2030 to all new builds. The ability to manage the GWP value and hence building-specific decarbonisation will be essential to the future viability of buildings.

Schüco Carbon Control: building-specific CO₂ reduction in all phases of construction

Schüco Carbon Control makes decarbonising the building envelope manageable. Using the modular building-block principle, it enables building-specific CO₂ reduction in all phases of construction – planning, construction, operation and recycling. Through our comprehensive package, which brings together the CO₂-reducing products and services from Schüco, we actively assist those involved in construction to adhere to the climate policy aspects of building regulation requirements throughout the entire lifecycle of a building.

Design to Decarb

Build to Decarb

Operate to Decarb

Recycle to Decarb

Design to Decarb

CO₂ -reducing products and services are setting the course towards the ideal CO₂ outcome for a building – both for new builds and for renovation projects – right from the design and planning phase through to construction and operation.

Build to Decarb

CO₂ -reducing products and services help to actively manage the carbon footprint of the planned building and to adhere to regulatory requirements.

Operate to Decarb

CO₂ -reducing products and services facilitate both high-efficiency CO₂ -reduced operation of buildings and easy maintenance of those buildings to maintain their value.

Recycle to Decarb

CO₂ -reducing products and services assist in returning materials to the material cycle as new resources at the end of their lifespan.

We are supporting our partners on the path to a CO₂ -neutral future

Schüco Carbon Control allows architects, fabricators, operators and investors to meet the increasing sustainability requirements imposed by law and demanded by clients, to find appropriate competitive solutions to increasingly complex tenders and to avoid investment risks.

Dekarbonisierungs-Lösungen für Architekten

Solutions for architects

Schüco Carbon Control allows architects and planners to exert a significant influence over the CO₂ emissions and thereby the future viability of a building, through the shape of the building, the construction of the envelope, the materials and indeed the functionality of its integrated systems.

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Dekarbonisierungs-Lösungen für Verarbeiter

Solutions for fabricators

Schüco Carbon Control makes it possible to minimise CO₂ emissions and meet the increasing requirements of the market regarding CO₂ through the use of reduced-CO₂ materials.

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Solutions for investors

The new EU requirements are changing property ratings. The value of a building will be defined in future by its carbon balance across all phases of its lifecycle. With Schüco Carbon Control, investors, planners, operators and users can control this carbon balance from the comprehensive planning stage and efficient construction process through to the cost-efficient operation and eventual return to the material cycle. This helps to secure investments in the long term as increasing profits and area productivity are key focus areas.

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“We can only achieve the major goal of a circular economy in the building industry with climate-neutral buildings if our entire process is sustainable, covering the planning, building and operation of buildings and returning the materials used into the material cycle following demolition.”

Dr. Thomas Schlenker, Senior Vice President, Digitalisation & Sustainability, Schüco

Why Schüco Carbon Control?

There are many good reasons for designing and implementing construction projects with Schüco Carbon Control. With our CO₂-reducing products and services, site-specific decarbonisation of the building envelope can be achieved throughout all phases of construction.

Carbon footprint at the touch of a button

At any point in the planning and construction process, our 3D calculation software SchüCal provides users for the first time with full transparency regarding the CO₂ values of the materials and structural units used.

Energy generation

By becoming an energy provider itself, a building reduces the CO₂ emissions required for its operation. Photovoltaic and BIPV modules are an efficient solution for future-proofed buildings that will pay off for investors, operators and the environment.

Material

By selecting the right material, those involved in the building process can actively affect the level of built-in emissions. Low carbon aluminium (LC), ultra-low carbon aluminium (ULC) and PVC-U units offer profiles with an especially low CO₂ value.

FAQ

What does the European Green Deal mean for the construction industry?

With the European Green Deal, the EU has made a commitment to become climate-neutral by 2050. Controlling and reducing CO₂ therefore becomes a major factor in the construction industry, which commits itself to offering climate-optimised and climate-neutral buildings.

Why is it so important to monitor CO₂?

The European Green Deal seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 and achieve climate neutrality by 2050. The EU requirement for CO₂ reduction applies from 2027 for new builds with over 2000 m² of usable space and from 2030 to all new builds.

What is the GWP value?

The GWP value quantifies the ‘Global Warming Potential’ of a building – the CO₂ emissions from Embodied Carbon and Operational Carbon – across its entire service life. The GWP value is expressed as CO₂e, or the CO₂-equivalent.

What is Carbon Control?

Carbon Control from Schüco makes decarbonising the building envelope manageable. Using the modular building-block principle, it enables building-specific CO₂ reduction across all phases of construction – planning, construction, operation and recycling.