Carbon neutral civil engineering projects what is that?

Purpose and goal:

This project aims to clarify concepts and definitions regarding carbon neutrality for construction projects and proposes a structure and method for how to assess whether a construction project achieves carbon neutrality or not.

The project has investigated which emission reductions from materials and processes can be assumed to take place at different times. The project has also investigated how emissions from land use change can be calculated. Finally, the possibilities for negative greenhouse gas emissions through supplementary measures have been investigated.

Expected results and effects:

The project results describe a process and principles for managing different categories of greenhouse gas emissions at different stages with the aim of achieving carbon neutrality. The experience from this project is that a structured report is needed that shows that the sum of the following emission components will be zero, or negative:

Emissions from materials and fuel Emissions from land use change

Negative emissions from supplementary measures in the categories: Within the project, Within the project´s value chain, Outside the project value chain Approach and implementation:

The project has been implemented as a collaboration between WSP, Skanska and Peab and has been financed by SBUF, Vinnova (via Infrasweden) and the project parties. An important part of the project´s implementation has been dialogue with a broad reference group in five workshops with different themes. In total, approx. 75 people have participated in the reference group via the workshops.

In the project, three case studies have been carried out for the construction projects Industrial area Skellefteå Site East, Rosendal Etapp 4 in Uppsala, Wooden bicycle lane in Skellefteå.