Emissions database for building construction

The CO2data.fi online service offers objective information on the climate impact of construction products and processes utilized in Finland. This data harmonizes the assessment of greenhouse gas emissions across the entire lifecycle of buildings, simplifying the design of low-carbon solutions. The emissions database constitutes an integral component of the CO2data service, which is open and free of charge to everyone.

Emissions database for building construction (CO2data service)

Go to co2data.fi

Emissions data for construction products, processes and services

The emissions database for building construction provides information on the adverse and beneficial climate impacts associated with buildings and construction sites. This information can be used to assess the low-carbon performance of a building in accordance with the requirements for the climate declaration. The service contains general information on hundreds of building products as well as dozens of processes and services.

The database contains average data for the most common and typical building products, selected to represent Finnish construction as accurately as possible. The aim is to cover the most important products, services and processes from the perspective of emissions calculations; therefore, not every possible product is included in the database. The service does not contain information on individual commercial products. In addition to product- and service-specific emissions data, the service includes background studies.

The data in the emissions database are based on publicly available sources, such as environmental product declarations (EPDs) for building products, studies and research. These sources have been compared and assessed, and average values have been calculated in collaboration with experts from the building products industry. The database, which contains data on hundreds of items, is updated regularly to reflect increasingly detailed information and changes in the operating environment, as products and services continue to evolve.

The Finnish Environment Institute is responsible for the development and maintenance of the service on behalf of the Ministry of the Environment.

The service provides the following information:

Carbon footprint of building products
Biogenic carbon storage of building products
Carbonation of building products
Carbon handprint of building products
Material waste factors on construction sites
Emission data for waste management and recycling of building products
Service life assumptions for building components
Emissions data for systems
Emissions data for transportation
Emissions data for construction
Emissions data for building demolition
Emissions data for energy sources and future carbon footprint scenarios for the coming decades

The database serves professionals in the construction sector

The emissions database for construction primarily serves professionals in the construction industry such as designers, product manufacturers, and construction companies. However, the information is also valuable for researchers and others interested in the climate impacts of construction. The emissions database has already been integrated into numerous calculation tools. Collaboration with professionals in the construction industry has been intensive since the development phase of the service, even before its release in 2021. The service is free for all users.

The Building Act guides low-carbon construction

The new Construction Act (751/2023) requires a climate declaration and a building product list to be prepared for certain new buildings. The legislation also sets limit values for the carbon footprint of buildings. The national emissions database enables consistent assessment of low-carbon performance, emissions planning, and the setting of limit values. The maintenance and content of the national emissions database are also regulated by the Building Act.

The Ministry of the Environment’s Decree on the Climate Declaration and List of Construction Products of a Building (1027/2024) entered into force on 1 January 2026. The Decree on the Limit Value for the Carbon Footprint of New Buildings (2/2026) entered into force on 9 January 2026.

Assessment of a building's low-carbon footprint

The Ministry of the Environment has developed a method for assessing the low-carbon performance of buildings, based on the European Commission’s Level(s) framework and EN standards. A publication (Kuittinen & Tähtinen 2026) by the Ministry of the Environment presents the method and is intended for use in assessing the climate impact of construction in the years 2026-2027. Starting in 2028, the delegated regulation on the global warming potential (GWP) of buildings, under the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, will apply. Detailed provisions on low-carbon assessment are set out in the Decree on the Climate Declaration and List of Construction Products of Building (1027/2024).

Method for the whole life carbon assessment of buildings:

Content and methods

Further information on the methods and development of the Emissions database for building construction:

Database development and updates

The CO2data service is regularly developed and updated in response to users’ needs. You can subscribe to receive information about new updates by email. The service also provides access to the CO2data service change log.