Project

Selecting the optimal tool for calculating greenhouse-gas emissions for real-estate projects

There are many tools available in Switzerland that enable developers to calculate greenhouse gas emissions. In the interest of helping our clients to select the most appropriate methods and tools for their emission calculations, EBP has deployed an interdisciplinary team to develop a tool selection guide that takes account of the relevant factors at the interface of climate protection, real-estate development and transportation systems.

Investors and real-estate developers are often confronted by the need to demonstrate the sustainability of their projects. For instance, they might like to have their buildings certified, renovate existing sites for enhanced energy performance or draft sustainability reports for their real-estate portfolios. Having the means of calculating carbon footprints and evaluating various aspects of sustainability in this context is important. Moreover, the nature of the project involved as well as other factors (e.g. new buildings, renovations, transportation-system access) may play an important role.

In order to calculate and evaluate such emissions in specific cases, numerous national and international methods and tools are available (e.g. GRI Standards). But which tool is most appropriate for the project at hand? Indeed, the search for the most appropriate method is often time consuming, and it can be difficult to gain a clear overview.

In light of these challenges, EBP commissioned an interdisciplinary team to take a closer look at this subject at the interface of climate protection, real-estate development and transportation systems and to examine both experience-based reports on the application of specific tools and methods and the questions posed by our clients. This enabled us to develop a guide to select the most appropriate tool for specific projects. This has also enabled us to provide even more effective consulting services to our clients and to support them when it comes to selecting the most appropriate calculation method and corresponding tool.
 
The guide leads to recommendations for specific tools based on a series of questions relating to the planned projects. Beyond this, it includes an account of the advantages and disadvantages, the data sources and contact information for internal and external experts who are familiar with the use of the recommended tool.

Contact persons