How to Calculate the Environmental Impact
Today, the construction industry faces major environmental challenges. Companies must find new ways to design and build more sustainably. With the climate crisis, designing buildings with a low environmental impact is no longer just an ethical choice or a marketing strategy: it has become a requirement. New regulations and certification standards now set strict rules that every project must follow carefully.
In this article, we explain the main tools and processes used to measure, manage, and reduce the environmental footprint of buildings. The goal is simple: to take a clear and honest approach and avoid greenwashing.
What Is the Impact of Buildings on the Environment?
On a global level, the construction industry is one of the sectors that has the greatest impact on ecosystems and resource consumption. Its environmental footprint is present at every stage of a building’s life, including the production and use of construction materials.
According to data from the European Environment Agency (EEA) in its report Addressing the Environmental and Climate Footprint of Buildings, the construction sector alone uses nearly 30% of all materials consumed in the European Union. This makes it one of the main sources of waste in Europe.
A building’s environmental footprint revolves around three main phases:
1. Construction and Procurement
The construction sector consumes approximately 33% of all materials extracted in the European Union, according to the EEA. From the extraction of raw materials to their transport to the construction site, this initial phase produces massive volumes of greenhouse gases.
2. The Operational Phase
This is the building’s operating phase. In Europe, building operations (heating, air conditioning, ventilation, and lighting) alone account for 42% of total energy consumption and 35% of overall greenhouse gas emissions.
3. End-of-Life and Land Footprint
When a building is demolished, the demolition process generates the largest share of material waste by weight in the European Union. Beyond the debris itself, urban sprawl and soil sealing disrupt ecosystems by blocking the natural water cycle and stifling local biodiversity.
How to Calculate a Building’s Ecological Footprint?
To properly measure a building’s carbon footprint, a strict scientific method is needed. The goal is to measure greenhouse gas emissions by calculating the carbon footprint.
To ensure these results are reliable, objective, and transparent, the assessment follows major international standards and guidelines, such as the GHG Protocol and ISO 14064.
Here are the main tools and standards used in this calculation:
1. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is the starting point for sustainable construction. This method measures the total environmental impact of a building at every stage of its life, from raw material extraction to demolition and final recycling.
2. Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)
Independently verified by a third-party organization, this certified document turns the results of the LCA into clear and comparable data, including the Global Warming Potential (GWP). These technical data sheets are essential for earning points or credits toward sustainable building certifications.
3. ISO Standards and UNI 11973:2025
Environmental standards continue to evolve, providing more precise standards, including ISO norms and the new UNI 11973:2025 standard. This new standard sets out guidelines for measuring a building’s overall environmental performance. It works alongside existing standards such as ISO 14064 for greenhouse gas management and ISO 50001 for energy management, which is strictly applied in Mondo’s production sites.
EPD: Do Not Confuse Recycled Materials with Renewable Materials
Recycled Materials
A recycled material is produced by reprocessing industrial waste (pre-consumer) or end-of-life products (post-consumer), such as calcium carbonate recovered from marble scraps and residues.
The environmental benefit of recycled building materials is that it can be used again to make new products. This helps avoid the extraction of virgin raw materials and saving existing natural resources.
Renewable Materials
A renewable material comes from living or organic natural resources whose stock can grow back naturally in a short cycle. Natural rubber extracted from the rubber tree is one example.
By clearly stating the exact percentages of recycled and renewable components, the EPD ensures absolute transparency for architects, designers, and building managers.
Why Are We So Proud of the “B-side” of Our Flooring?
Most resilient flooring on the market is homogeneous, meaning it is made of a single layer all the way through. Mondo has taken a different approach by developing a heterogeneous technology, where two layers are molecularly bonded.
This design choice is important because it allows a high amount of recycled materials to be used in the bottom layer of the flooring, known as the “B-side”.
This method offers the best of both worlds: strong performance with good sound insulation and shock absorption, improved durability, and, at the same time, full freedom in design and appearance.
How to Reduce a Building’s Environmental Impact?
Reducing the climate impact of a construction project requires a complete approach from the start of the design process. Eco-friendly architecture combines environmental performance, energy efficiency, and occupant well-being.
Design for Disassembly
To better manage waste from demolition, modern architecture now considers a building’s end of life right from the design stage. This means designing structures and materials, including flooring, so they can be easily taken apart, sorted, and recycled. This approach is a key part of the circular economy in the construction industry.
Alignment with Green Building Certifications
Building according to international certification standards, or using advanced academic models, such as the Green Plus Building protocol from the University of Milan-Bicocca, helps improve overall environmental performance.
These certifications also ensure better comfort, health, and well-being for building occupants.
Choosing Healthy and Sustainable Materials
Choosing products that have an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) and meet strict standards such as the Minimum Environmental Criteria (CAM) is essential.
Mondo is developing rubber flooring made from bio-attributed materials that include recycled content and help reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These performance features are certified by recognized labels such as Blauer Engel and Greenguard Gold, which help ensure good indoor air quality.
Passive and Active Energy Efficiency
Reaching the goal of nearly zero-energy buildings (nZEB) requires two main strategies: first, strong thermal insulation and smart shading systems (passive measures), and second, the use of renewable energy technologies (active measures).
Structural Longevity
Durability is an important environmental factor. By designing buildings that can last a long time without losing their structure or appearance, we reduce the need for renovations and save resources over many years.
Focusing on Renovation
In line with the recommendations of the European Environment Agency (EEA), it is better to focus first on improving and upgrading existing buildings. Renovation helps reduce land use, soil sealing, and material waste, making construction more resource efficient.
Working with transparent partners and choosing materials backed by solid scientific research is the first step toward building architecture that is strong, healthy, and ready for the future.
ROI, Greenwashing, and Carbon Storytelling: Highlighting Commitment
Investing in the green transition can improve financial performance and bring a clear return on investment (ROI). In fact, eco-friendly buildings often benefit from a “Green Premium.”
This means they usually cost less to operate and maintain, can have a higher market value, and may also make it easier to access financing and public subsidies.
Carbon Storytelling
As highlighted by the international architecture firm Gensler, explaining a building’s carbon impact has become an important skill.
This approach means making complex technical data, such as Global Warming Potential (GWP) found in Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), easier to understand. The goal is to clearly show the real benefits of a project to users, local communities, and the environment.
Greenwashing
To avoid accusations of greenwashing, your environmental claims must be clear and precise. It should be based on solid scientific data, such as life cycle assessments (LCA) and certified EPD information.
By relying on verified and audited certifications, you build trust with your stakeholders. This is an effective way to turn environmental requirements into a real business advantage.
The Importance of SBTi Validation
Because of increasing transparency requirements, SBTi (Science Based Targets initiative) validation is essential.
Supported by major international organizations, such as the United Nations Global Compact and WWF, the SBTi checks that a company’s climate targets are based on science and in line with the Paris Agreement. This requires a strong plan aimed at limiting global warming to 1.5 °C.
Mondo has recently received this validation for its carbon reduction plan for 2031.
For designers, architects, and building managers, working with SBTi-verified partners is more than just buying materials. It ensures that solutions aligned with global climate goals are part of their supply chain.
Designing a Sustainable Future
Choosing eco-friendly materials, measuring their environmental impact in a scientific way, and clearly sharing these results is now the path forward for designing a sustainable future. This is no longer just a technical or legal requirement, but also a real business advantage in the real estate sector.
Mondo’s rubber flooring range reflects this approach. Made from bio-attributed rubber, it supports eco-design goals and can help earn credits toward major international certifications such as LEED and BREEAM.
By focusing on clear, science-based innovations, architects, designers, and building managers are doing more than just building. They are actively working to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings and create healthier, more efficient, and more resilient spaces for future generations.
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