Abstract
In the past 12 years, more than 50 FutureBuilt pilot projects have shown that it is possible to reduce greenhouse gas emission from transport, energy and materials for the built environment. The FutureBuilt programme supports climate friendly urban development in Norway’s capitol city Oslo and surrounding municipalities (Bærum, Asker, Drammen, Nordre Follo and Lillestrøm). All projects have until now been required to perform carbon footprint calculations and to reduce emissions by 50% compared to a reference common practice. Followng the political ambitions to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the FutureBuilt criteria has been updated to reflect these, with the development of a scheme called FutureBuilt ZERO. The FutureBuilt ZERO method is based on the Norwegian standard for carbon footprint calculations of buildings (NS 3720), but has taken a more forward looking approach. The method is taking into account expected future developments in society related to carbon footprint aspects that has often been left out in common carbon footprint practice. It includes contributions to greenhouse gas emission of direct and indirect emissions from operational energy, manufacturing, and transport of materials, related to building construction, operation, maintenance and end-of-life. In common carbon footprint of buildings, scenarios for maintenance and end-of-life of buildings are often assessed based on current practice. However, in the FutureBuilt ZERO method, the changes in technology and policy have been taking into account for adjusting emission factors. Other aspects that are often left out in common practice such as biogenic carbon, time-dependent characterisation factors, carbonatization of concrete, design for reuse and exported energy, are also included. The process to take into account such aspects requires input from several experts and the presentation will bring forward some of the aspects that has been deliberated in the making of the method.
