20.03.2025

Study completed: Rethinking CO2 reduction in building construction

How can we significantly reduce CO₂ requirements in the construction industry? A research project at Kiel University of Applied Sciences has been working intensively on this question - we are providing support as a practical partner!

Key points of the research:
✅ Detailed CO₂ balances for typical building structures in Schleswig-Holstein
Identification of the biggest CO₂ drivers in building structures
✅ Development of cost-effective measures to reduce "gray emissions" by up to 30 %
✅ Comparison of CO₂ emissions from building construction and building operation

Important insight:
While the focus to date has often been on the operational efficiency of buildings, the study shows that "gray emissions" - i.e. the CO₂ load from construction and the use of materials - play a much greater role than previously assumed!
Through optimized construction methods, alternative materials and targeted planning strategies, we can build more sustainably without exploding costs!

The results show the way to climate-friendly construction.
So let's make the construction industry greener together!

To the research report:

https://www.eksh.org/fileadmin/redakteure/downloads/foerderung/Abschlussberichte_HWT/Abschlussbericht_HWT_ReduzierungCO2BedarfHochbauwerke_Goertz_FHKiel.pdf

We are pleased to be able to contribute to this study with our engineering expertise and would like to thank Kiel University of Applied Sciences and all those involved!