Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Advisory

As the built environment transitions toward stricter carbon regulations, understanding a building’s total environmental footprint across its full lifecycle has become essential. At Greenbors Consulting, we provide practical, standards-compliant Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) advisory services to help real estate developers, design teams, and property owners meet regulatory demands, achieve green building certification requirements, and make informed material choices.

What is

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) ?

A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a structured, standardized methodology (governed by ISO 14040/44 and EN 15978) that calculates the environmental impacts of a building throughout its entire lifespan—from raw material extraction and manufacturing through construction, operational use, and final demolition or recycling.

While energy efficiency historically focused on Operational Carbon (emissions from heating, cooling, and electricity use), Embodied Carbon—the emissions bound within the building materials themselves—now represents a significant share of a project’s total footprint.

An LCA systematically evaluates these impacts

across recognized lifecycle stages

Upfront Embodied Carbon (Modules A1–A5)

In-Use Phase (Modules B1–B7)

End-of-Life Phase (Modules C1–C4)

Benefits & Loads Beyond Boundary (Module D)

Raw material supply, transport to factory, manufacturing, transport to site, and assembly/construction activities.

Material maintenance, repair, replacement, and operational energy and water consumption over the building's lifecycle.

Deconstruction, demolition, transport to waste processing, and final disposal.

Potential net environmental benefits from material reuse, recovery, or recycling.

Why is LCA

EU Taxonomy & Regulatory Compliance

Becoming Essential for the Real Estate Sector?

Under the EU Taxonomy technical screening criteria, performing a Whole Life Carbon assessment is required for large new developments to demonstrate alignment. National building codes across Europe are also increasingly moving toward mandatory carbon reporting and embodied carbon limits.

Green Building Certifications (BREEAM, LEED, DGNB)

LCA is a core requirement within major certification schemes. Conducting an LCA awards credits that are often critical for reaching target rating levels (such as BREEAM Very Good/Excellent or LEED Gold/Platinum).

Data-Driven Material Selection

An LCA provides clear, objective data that enables architects, structural engineers, and developers to compare alternative structural systems, facade options, or insulation materials during the design phase to identify cost-effective carbon reduction opportunities.

Investor & Stakeholder Transparency

Institutional investors, banks, and corporate tenants increasingly ask for transparent ESG disclosures. Demonstrating a clear understanding of an asset's embodied carbon profile supports risk management and helps protect long-term asset value.

Regulatory updates, financial benchmarks, and voluntary standards are rapidly making LCA a standard requirement across Central and Eastern Europe.

How LCA Delivers

Value to Key Stakeholders

Fulfills bank underwriting and EU Taxonomy requirements, secures essential green building certification credits, and helps avoid future regulatory risks.

Provides structured environmental data during early design stages to compare material options and justify engineering decisions.

For Developers & Investors

For Design Teams & Engineers

Helps organize construction-stage material data (such as Environmental Product Declarations / EPDs) and satisfy client-specified procurement criteria.

Offers a lifecycle perspective on material durability and replacement cycles, supporting long-term maintenance planning.

For General Contractors

For Asset Managers

Standards-Compliant Calculations

Integarted Support

Clear & Actionable Reporting

We prepare building LCAs in line with EN 15978 standards, using recognized software and verified databases (such as ÖKOBAUDAT or ecoinvent) as well as specific manufacturer Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).

We align the LCA process directly with your project's overall green building certification strategy (BREEAM, LEED, etc.) or EU Taxonomy review to streamline documentation and avoid duplicate effort.

We deliver straightforward, transparent reports that present key carbon hotspots and comparisons in an easy-to-understand format for both technical teams and decision-makers.

Our approach

at Greenbors

At Greenbors, we approach LCA as a practical tool to support compliance and decision-making rather than an overly complex academic exercise.

Greenbors LCA Services

Life Cycle Costing (LCC) Integration

Baseline financial lifecycle evaluations compliant with ISO 15686, aligning material selection and energy efficiency choices with long-term operational costs (OPEX) and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) considerations.

Material Optioneering & EPD Coordination

Early-stage material carbon comparisons and support in gathering and reviewing manufacturer Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) to meet project sustainability targets during design and procurement.

Whole Life Carbon & LCA Consulting

Comprehensive LCA studies compliant with EN 15978 and ISO 14040/44 for new developments and major renovations—supporting green building certifications (BREEAM, LEED, DGNB) and EU Taxonomy disclosures.