Life Cycle Carbon - Global

This guide concerns the 'Life Cycle Carbon - Global' tool. This tool can be purchased as an add-on to any building or infrastructure license. This tool reports only on Global Warming Potential (GWP), however, allows using data of multiple characterization methods. 

Life-Cycle & Results Scope

The calculation includes the life cycle modules of A1-A5, B1-B7, C1-C4, and D. 

The displayed results include Global Warming Potential (GWP kg CO2e), Biogenic Carbon Storage (kg CO2e bio), and Social Cost of Carbon (in desired currency format).

Data Scope

The data scope depends on your chosen calculation tool. As of July 2023, we have launched a new version of the tool which has an even larger database, due to the inclusion of EN15804+A2 data.

• Life Cycle Carbon - Global

The data scope of the global carbon tool is one of the largest in One Click LCA. This is due to the fact that this tool uses both CML (EN15804+A1) and TRACI data. Additionally, it has a number of generic databases which otherwise are not available in calculation tools (e.g. ICE, EPiC, SYKE, Boverket, BRANZCO2)

• Life Cycle Carbon - Global 2023

Includes all of the above, plus EN15804+A2 data. 

Assessment Scope

The global carbon tool does not have a specified minimum scope. 

How to complete your assessment, step-by-step

1. Set your calculation period and building area

• Enter here the service life of the building required by the client or through regulations, for LCA this is also the reference study period/calculation period for the analysis. An often chosen calculation period is 60 years. This is the default calculation period in most BREEAM and LEED assessments.
• Enter the building area in the respective question form. Specify as a minimum gross internal floor area (GIFA). This will be used to provide results per one m2, in order to make a possible comparison between different projects. You can find out more about the building area here.

2. Enter your construction materials

• Enter your construction/building materials. Adjust their service life setting, transport setting, localization, wastage percentage and end of life process as seen fit. 
• You can choose a repair rate (B3). The default rate is 0, to be adjusted by the user.
• You can choose to mark a material as a 'reused material' which removes A1-A3 and A5 emissions. For existing materials (e.g. re-used foundation) you can set the transportation distance to 0 to remove A4 emissions as well. Read more about that here. 
• You can set a custom classification or use private classifications if you have an Expert license. 

3. Enter your site operations (A5), energy (B6) and water (B7) demands (optional)

• For construction site operations specify the climate region and construction site area (question 1 in Construction site operations question form) OR input manually project-specific information in the questions 2-5.
• Include project-specific data for annual energy (kWh/y) and water (m3/y) consumption.

4. Fill in the emissions and removals query (optional)

• This query looks at the use-phase emissions generated by refrigerants, concrete carbonisation and vegetation carbon withdrawals.

Analyzing the results

The 'Life-Cycle Carbon Global' tool reports on

• Global Warming (GWP, kg CO2e)
• Biogenic Carbon Storage (kg CO2e bio)
• Social cost of carbon (in desired currency format)

Under more actions you can get a results report in Excel format.