Life Cycle GWP Assessment – Methods and Resources

Overview

The Irish Green Building Council (IGBC), as part of the INDICATE initiative, has developed a prototype Life Cycle Global Warming Potential (GWP) Assessment Methodology for Ireland. This methodology has been applied to 50 current buildings to establish a baseline of the carbon impact of building activities in Ireland today.

DOWNLOAD THE METHODOLOGY 

Why Develop a Life Cycle GWP Assessment Methodology?

This prototype serves as a precursor to the assessment methodology required by 2027 under the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) 2024. Member States will publish a roadmap introducing limit values for the whole life-cycle GWP for new buildings and set targets from 2030, with a downward trend. Starting from January 1, 2028, all new buildings with a useful floor area larger than 1000m² will be required to report their GWP, and by 2030, this requirement will extend to all new buildings.

Methodology and Resources

The IGBC has laid the foundation by developing a methodology compliant with the EU Level(s) framework and tailored to the Irish context. This includes using Irish-specific data such as the carbon intensity of the grid, local concrete manufacturing carbon estimates, likely transport distances and modes, and end-of-life scenarios.

Available Resources:

• Methodology Download: The methodology can be applied to any live project.
• Explainer Video: A video guide to help you get started.
• Technical Report: Detailed coverage of the methodology and a breakdown by typology of the aggregated results from the first 50 assessments.
• Policy Brief: Contextualises the results within current Irish policy.