We help the construction sector to reduce its climate impact

There is a need for both change and innovation which is where Södra’s CLT comes in. One step towards making construction more sustainable in Sweden is the Climate Declaration law.

What’s included in a climate declaration?

To make a climate declaration, the builder must know the climate impact for all components and building materials. A life-cycle analysis calculates the environmental impact, including the climate impact, of a product throughout its life cycle. For a building, this means calculating the environmental impact for everything from the extraction of raw materials and manufacture of building materials and components to construction and installation, use and finally, dismantling and reuse/waste management. The environmental impact of energy use and transportation at all stages are also included.

EPD is an environmental product declaration

The Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) summarises the product's environmental impact in a concise, standardised document. An EPD contains the results of the life-cycle analysis plus other important information about the product. The declaration is reviewed by an independent third party and always follows a standard. This makes it easy to compare the climate impact of different materials and components with the same function. It also makes it easier to choose sustainable alternatives and thus make a big difference to the climate. Wood, for example, is the only renewable building material suitable for frames for multi-storey projects.

The significance of the frame material

In a new construction, the frame of the house usually has the most significant climate impact. This means that the choice of CLT as the frame material is very climate-smart. Compared with concrete, CLT can reduce the climate impact of a building frame by more than 50 per cent.

What does this mean for you at the design stage?

For architects/developers, it means lots of opportunities to do more and smarter business. Even with land allocations, it is increasingly common for a climate declaration to be required. For designers, we make the work significantly more manageable, as climate information is also easily accessible via the digital versions of our products. There should be no obstacles to making climate-smart choices and building a sustainable society. That’s why Södra is here to help!

See digital versions of our products