Ökobilanzierung in der Planung

Abstract

Life cycle assessment in the design stage – From a scientific approach to a practical tool

Requirements for the assessment and disclosure of environmentally relevant information on buildings using methods of applied life cycle assessment will become a legal requirement in the near future. Starting in 2028, greenhouse gas emissions in the life cycle must be calculated and reported as global warming potential. This is one of the impact categories included in the list of core indicators of a life cycle assessment. Whereas experience in determining the global warming potential and, in some cases, other potential environmental impacts has so far been limited to isolated applications, for example in sustainability assessment, applications for funding, or the EU taxonomy, design and construction practice, in particular the designers and engineers, will from then on be confronted with this topic. The groundwork is currently being laid. This applies to the formulation of legal requirements, the further development of the relevant standards, the provision of data, guidance, and tools, as well as the expansion of opportunities for further training. In this context, this paper presents the fundamentals of life cycle assessment, the current status of standardisation with regard to DIN EN 15978:2026 and DIN SPEC 91606:2026, as well as relevant questions that can be addressed by means of life cycle assessment. The background and interrelationships of selected subtopics are explained, and recommendations for real life application are provided.