The European Union is determined to move towards carbon neutrality by 2050. This goal is so ambitious that it cannot be correctly assessed in words, but perhaps some example can be useful.
EU greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during 2019 were 4,058 MTn CO2eq/year
(source). Taking as an estimated reference the largest CO2 fixation facility in
the world, which removes 4,000 tons of CO2/year, and being clear that this facility could offset the emission of all GHGs since it only captures CO2, Europe would need the capture potential of 1,014.50. This estimate, despite having little technical rigor, makes it clear that the solution lies in the radical reduction of current emissions. In this context, and as MITECO very well indicates in its
carbon footprint record,the first step is to "calculate".
The calculation of the emissions of any product or service throughout its life cycle is a highly complex process and loaded with technical decision making. Thus arises the concept "limits of the system": should the impact of transporting a worker to a workplace be assigned to the manufactured product? And the impact of their diet?
The DAPconstrucción Program® was born in 2008 and, since then, has been promoting the calculation of environmental impact with a LCA perspective in construction materials.
The Sustainable Construction Agenda, thanks to the knowledge generated based on the experience with the DAPs, aims to position itself as a communication reference in terms of the "methods of the environmental footprint to measure and communicate the environmental performance of products and organizations throughout their lifecycle".
