Embodied carbon calculator

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Calculate embodied GWP (kg CO₂e) of construction materials and assemblies for A1–A3, A4–A5 and C1–C4, with Module D separate. B1–B7 are excluded. Generic materials use EPiC 2024 hybrid LCI; user EPDs use GWP-total. Free, transparent — no login required.

✓ EN 15804+A2:2019 ✓ ISO 14040/14044 EPiC Database 2024 A1–C4 + Module D No login

Methodology & data sources — click to expand ▼

FastLCA calculates GWP in kg CO₂e following the module structure of EN 15804+A2:2019. For user-entered EPD products: GWP-total (fossil + biogenic + LULUC per EN 15804+A2). For generic EPiC materials: Embodied Greenhouse Gas Emissions — a hybrid LCI aggregate equivalent to GWP-total but derived from a different methodology (process + input-output) and methodology of ISO 14040/14044. Results are indicative estimates — not a certified LCA or EPD.

⚠ Important — EPiC is an Australian database. Generic values use Australian input-output data and manufacturing conditions. EPiC's hybrid method and EN 15804 product EPDs use different methodologies, so their values are not directly comparable and may be higher or lower depending on the material, product, geography, system boundary and data. For European/UK projects, replace generic values with verified local product EPDs for product- or project-specific reporting. EPD Database licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 — selected factors used as calculation inputs; no separate database download · Cite as: Crawford, R.H., Stephan, A. & Prideaux, F. (2024), University of Melbourne · DOI: 10.26188/10257728.v11

A1–A3 Generic materials

EPiC Database 2024 (Crawford, Stephan & Prideaux, University of Melbourne). Hybrid LCI using Australian supply-chain data; not directly comparable with EN 15804 product EPDs. Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Open EPiC Database ↗

A1–A3 EPD products

Product-specific values from verified manufacturer EPDs, entered by the user from the original document.

A4 Transport

DESNZ 2025 freight factors per tonne·km × distance (kg CO₂e/t·km), applied to total material mass.

A5 Construction

IEA 2023 grid intensity × site energy + waste factor (%) × A1–A3 GWP.

C1–C4 End of life

Generic per-kg factors estimated from published EPD ranges by material and EOL scenario. EPD-declared values used where available.

Module D

Net recovery benefit. Always reported separately — never added to A1–C4 total per EN 15804+A2:2019 clause 6.4.3.4.

⚠ Limitations: EPiC uses Australian input-output data — values are systematically higher than European EPDs because the hybrid method captures full supply chain emissions including indirect processes. For European/UK projects these are indicative only. Generic C1–C4 and Module D values are estimated — not from a single verified source. Always prefer product-specific EPDs for formal reporting.

Life cycle boundary — hover each stage for details

PRODUCT STAGE (A1–A3)

A1Raw mat.

A2Transport

A3Manufacture

CONSTRUCTION (A4–A5)

A4To site

A5On site

USE PHASE — NOT INCLUDED

B1–5Use & maint.

B6–7Energy/water

END OF LIFE (C1–C4)

C1Demolition

C2Transport

C3Processing

C4Disposal

BEYOND

DNet benefit

A1–A3 included A4–A5 (optional) C1–C4 (per EOL) B1–B7 not included D separate

ⓘ Module D = 0 for landfill is correct — no material or energy is recovered. For timber and plastics, landfill also causes long-term methane not captured in generic C4 factors.

Project

Project saved automatically to your browser ✓ Saved

Generic GHG emission factors from the EPiC Database 2024 (Crawford, Stephan & Prideaux, University of Melbourne). Hybrid LCI using Australian supply-chain data; not directly comparable with EN 15804 product EPDs. Open EPiC Database ↗ · Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Selected factors used as calculation inputs; no separate database download

⌕

Source details

Database / programme—

Year published—

Declared unit—

A1–A3 emission factor—

Reference / EPD ID—

Quantity

Unit

Select a material above, enter a quantity, then click Add.

⚠ A4 & A5 are indicative only. A4 applies one transport mode to all materials at a single distance — real projects have mixed supply chains. A5 site energy is project-specific. These should be replaced with actual data for any formal reporting. Transport emission factors from DESNZ (2025) and EN 15804+A2 defaults. Grid factors from IEA 2023.

A4 — Transport to site

Distance (km)

Vehicle / mode

A5 — Construction process

Site energy (kWh)

Energy source

Site waste (%)

Waste factor accounts for material cut-offs, breakage and over-ordering on site. It adds that percentage of A1–A3 GWP as A5 waste. Typical range: 2–5% for steel, 5–10% for timber and insulation, 10–15% for tiles. A5 site energy covers machinery and equipment power on site. Grid emission factors: IEA 2023, Ember 2024, national grid operators — location-based, market average. Grid intensity changes year to year; verify with current national data for formal reporting.

Results — GWP by life cycle stage (GWP-total for EPDs · Embodied GHG for EPiC generic materials · both in kg CO₂e)

Intensity — divide by GFA: (Gross Floor Area — total m² of building) m² GFA — kg CO₂e/m²

GFA = Gross Floor Area — total enclosed floor area measured to external walls. Dividing total project GWP by GFA gives kg CO₂e/m², the standard intensity metric for RICS, RIBA and LETI benchmarking.

Material contribution to A1–A3

🔍 Show full calculation breakdown (verify the maths) ▼

Data sources used

What comes next

FastLCA gives you the early picture — here's how to go further

This estimate is a useful starting point for design decisions and client conversations. But if your product or project needs a verified EPD — for green building certification, procurement requirements, or a public carbon claim — that requires a certified LCA study. Here's what that journey looks like:

Step 1 — You are here

Pre-screening with FastLCA

Understand which materials dominate, compare options, identify hotspots. Free, instant, no expertise needed.

Step 2

Certified LCA study

A verified practitioner collects product-specific data, models the full supply chain, and produces a report compliant with ISO 14040/44 and EN 15804.

Step 3

EPD verification & registration

The LCA report is independently verified and registered with a programme operator (EPD Norway, IBU, Environdec). Typically €3,000–€15,000 depending on complexity.

Step 4

Publish & use your EPD

Your verified EPD becomes a marketable asset — usable for BREEAM/LEED credits, public procurement, green financing, and customer transparency.

Learn about our methodology →

📋 EU regulatory context — why this matters now

🪪 Digital Product Passport (DPP) — mandatory for construction products 2027–2030 ▼

The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR, Regulation EU 2024/1781) entered into force in July 2024. It mandates a Digital Product Passport for construction products — a machine-readable digital record that travels with the product throughout its life cycle, containing origin, material composition, carbon footprint, recycled content, durability, and end-of-life data.

The Construction Products Regulation (CPR, Regulation (EU) 2024/3110) specifically extends DPP requirements to construction materials. DPP obligations will depend on the applicable implementing measures and product-specific transition dates. Check the Commission’s CPR guidance for current requirements.

✓

July 2024

ESPR entered into force

Legal framework established. No product-specific requirements yet.

✓

Q2 2025

ESPR Working Plan 2025–2030 published

First wave: textiles, furniture, tyres, iron/steel, aluminium chains prioritised.

→

Late 2025 – 2026

First delegated acts expected

Product-specific DPP data requirements defined. Minimum 18-month transition after adoption.

○

February 2027

Battery DPP mandatory (EV & industrial batteries)

First mandatory DPP. Sets the technical precedent for other sectors.

○

2027–2030

Construction product DPPs phased in

Mandatory DPPs for regulated construction materials. EPDs aligned with EN 15804+A2 expected to feed directly into DPP data.

💡 What this means for you: EPDs aligned with EN 15804+A2 are explicitly expected to become the primary data source for DPPs in construction. Having a verified EPD now means your DPP data is already half-built — and you're ahead of competitors who wait until compliance is mandatory.

🚫 EU anti-greenwashing rules — already binding from September 2026 Binding Sep 2026 ▼

Two EU directives now restrict how companies can make environmental and climate claims — even in B2B contexts relevant to construction:

Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive (EmpCo / ECGT, Directive EU 2024/825) — adopted March 2024, binding from 27 September 2026 across all EU member states. This is already law.

From September 2026 it will be illegal to:

Make generic environmental claims — "eco-friendly", "green", "sustainable", "natural", "circular" — without proof
Claim a product is "climate neutral" or "carbon neutral" based on offsetting rather than actual emission reductions
Display a sustainability label that hasn't been verified by a recognised certification scheme
Claim environmental benefit for only part of a product while implying it applies to the whole

Green Claims Directive (proposed) — would have added mandatory third-party pre-verification for all explicit environmental claims. The Commission announced intention to withdraw the proposal in June 2025 after political opposition to its bureaucratic burden on small businesses. The legislative process is paused — but not cancelled. The EmpCo Directive (above) still applies regardless.

💡 What this means for you: If your product will carry any carbon or environmental claim after September 2026 — on a website, in a tender, in a sales brochure — it needs to be substantiated with verifiable data. A verified EPD with declared GWP values from an accredited LCA programme is exactly the kind of evidence that makes a claim defensible. FastLCA estimates are not sufficient for public claims — they're a starting point.

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Guides & resources: Scope 3 Cat 1 guide · About FastLCA · EPD guide · CBAM & construction materials · Scope 3 calculator

⚠ Disclaimer: FastLCA provides indicative estimates only. Not a certified LCA, EPD or regulatory declaration. Generic A1–A3: EPiC Database 2024 (Crawford, Stephan & Prideaux, University of Melbourne; CC BY-NC-ND 4.0; selected factors used as calculation inputs). EPiC hybrid-LCI values and EN 15804 product EPD values are not directly comparable. Transport: DESNZ (2025). Generic materials: EPiC "Embodied GHG Emissions" (hybrid LCI, kg CO₂e — not an EN 15804 product EPD indicator). User EPDs: GWP-total per EN 15804+A2. Generic C1–C4 and Module D: estimated from published EPD ranges. User EPD values not independently verified. Module D excluded from totals per EN 15804+A2:2019. B1–B7 not included. For compliance, commission a certified LCA practitioner. · © 2026 FastLCA. All rights reserved. · FastLCA v0.9.3 · fastlca.com · hello@fastlca.com · Methodology ·

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