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. Moreover, these calculations enable setting specific numerical objectives. The emissions database constitutes an integral component of the CO2data service. The maintenance and development of the emissions database are managed by the Finnish Environment Institute (Syke).

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 harmful and beneficial climate impacts of buildings and construction sites. By utilizing this data, it is possible to assess the carbon footprint of a building in accordance with the requirements of a climate report. The service includes general information on hundreds of building products as well as dozens of processes and services.

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 compiles average data on the most common and typical building products. The emission data in the database is based on public sources such as environmental product declarations (EPDs), studies, and research (e.g., RTS, EPD, EPD Norge, Environdec, IBU, ÖkobauDat, ICE, VTT, IVL). These sources have been compared, selected, and averaged in collaboration with experts from the building materials industry.

Data on construction, transportation, demolition, and waste management is primarily based on Finnish statistics and studies. The service does not include information on individual commercial products; instead, it provides generic data representing Finnish construction. The goal is to cover the most essential generic products, services, and processes for emission calculations, meaning not every possible product is included in the database.

In addition to product- and service-specific emission data, the service contains background studies. The database includes hundreds of entries, and the data is continuously updated based on identified needs.

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 requires that, as of 1 January 2026, a climate declaration and a construction product list be prepared for certain new buildings. In addition, threshold values for carbon footprint must be applied as of 1 January 2026.

The emissions database for building construction enables the preparation of climate declarations and the comparable calculation of emissions for different design alternatives. The maintenance of the national emission database is governed by the Construction Act. The database is regularly updated to reflect evolving information and changes in the operating environment as products and services continue to develop.

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. The guidance for the assessment method, published in 2025, is intended for use during 2026–2027. Starting in 2028, the delegated regulation on the climate heating potential 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 of Buildings and the Construction Product List (1027/2024).

Method for the whole life carbon assessment of buildings: