Construction and the maintenance of buildings and facilities cause significant greenhouse gas emissions. Emissions from construction can be influenced in many ways – particularly through guidance, material and technology choices, energy solutions, and the use of spaces. In this section, we will focus on construction and renovation, and the emissions they generate. Issues related to the use of facilities and energy consumption are covered in a separate section.
To renovate or to build something new?
The Carbon-neutral Church 2030 strategy (summary in English) emphasizes that a new building will not be constructed until the possibility of repairing or modifying an existing one has been assessed. This approach is also supported by research: based on studied cases, renovation is more effective at avoiding emissions in the coming decades than demolition followed by new construction. (Ministry of the Environment)
In renovation, emissions can be reduced by utilising existing structures, materials, and technical systems, which decreases the need for new building materials and saves natural resources. Renovation also requires less site preparation than new construction.
In demolition, the focus is on recycling and reusing materials: for example, recovering and reusing concrete, steel, and wood reduces the need for virgin materials and decreases the amount of construction waste. Emissions from new construction and renovation are managed, for instance, by selecting low-emission and environmentally certified materials, optimising the building’s energy efficiency, and utilising renewable energy.
The carbon footprint allows for the evaluation of different options
The carbon footprint of construction can be influenced most at the early stages of planning the construction project. Therefore, it is important to set life cycle and sustainability goals for the project. In each renovation project, factors such as space efficiency and opportunities for improving energy efficiency are also considered. These aspects are considered in the tendering of projects.
Starting from the beginning of 2026, carbon footprint calculations must be prepared at the building permit stage for all new construction projects. This means that the environmental impact of the project – especially greenhouse gas emissions – must be assessed before construction begins. The carbon footprint calculations increase transparency and sustainability. At the same time, it provides an opportunity to compare different design solutions and material choices at an early stage, when changes can still be made. The project’s largest emission sources can be identified, directing the planning towards lower-emission solutions.
For example, Helsinki has already implemented a concrete limit for residential apartment buildings: the building’s life cycle carbon footprint must not exceed 16 kg CO₂e/m². The limit encourages the selection of low-emission materials and energy-efficient solutions. National limits for different building types have not yet been published.
New materials and techniques are constantly being developed to reduce emissions from construction. For example, lower-emission solutions have been developed for concrete, steel, and construction site operations. These help to reduce the total emissions of construction. Such solutions should be taken into account at the different tendering stages of a project.
Climate emissions can also be reduced through collaboration with the suppliers involved in a construction project. This can be supported by, among other things, the sustainability criteria of procurements or common ground rules on the construction site that consider climate impacts.
The carbon handprint highlights positive effects
In addition to the smallest possible carbon footprint, construction should also aim for a large carbon handprint. The carbon handprint refers to the positive climate impacts of a construction project, which can include, for example:
- Reuse of materials: Reusing materials from a demolished building reduces the emissions associated with producing new products.
- Carbon-sequestering structures: Long-lasting building components, such as wooden elements, can serve as carbon stocks for decades.
- Surplus renewable energy: Excess energy generated by a building, such as solar power, can replace fossil energy elsewhere.
- Supporting climate goals: The carbon handprint complements the carbon footprint and helps with understanding how a building can actively contribute to mitigating climate change.
Buildings are now being designed for a different future
Adaptation to climate change is an essential part of sustainable construction. Buildings are being designed further and further into the future, and they must operate in a changing climate. Even if global warming could be limited to below 1,5 degrees Celsius (which currently seems unlikely), weather conditions have already changed. Buildings must be able to withstand new types of weather events and related stresses, such as gusty winds, heavy rainfall, heatwaves, and rising sea levels. Also, attention must be paid to the long-term durability of construction materials.
The following factors should be taken into account in the planning:
- material choices for facade materials as rainfall increases
- dimensioning of structures as winds increase and snow loads change
- maintaining indoor temperatures of buildings as heatwaves increase
- stormwater and flood management
In the following video, Environmental Master Sanna Kuula shows how the infiltration of stormwater into the ground has been developed in the yard of St. Paul’s Church, for example, with the help of different types of meadows. And what would the churchyard of the environmental master’s dreams look like? The video is 2:54 minutes long.
Space efficiency and impacts of facility use
Optimising the need for space and flexible use of space are important factors in improving space efficiency. This is also reflected our approved property strategy (in Finnish). How facilities are used has a significant impact on the building’s energy and water consumption, cleaning, maintenance, and repair needs. A well-designed and efficiently used facility reduces the need for new buildings and reduces emissions from both construction and maintenance. You can learn more about this in the fourth section of the online course.