The Paris Agreement of 2015 set a long-term goal: to keep the increase in global surface temperature well below 2°C (3.6°F) compared to pre-industrial levels. The treaty also states that the preferred limit should be just 1.5°C (2.7°F). The lower the temperature rise, the fewer climate change impacts can be expected. To achieve this goal, greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced as quickly and significantly as possible. The commercial real estate sector faces a significant challenge in reducing emissions, which account for nearly 40% of total global emissions. This awareness has guided us toward actions based on a sustainable model. The internal FutureMinds team is working on implementing a sustainability strategy and executing initiatives stemming from it—one of which is calculating the carbon footprint for all our developments.
The construction of new facilities, including logistics and service buildings, involves the use of large quantities of materials such as wool, concrete, and steel. Their production generates significant CO₂ emissions. At LemonTree, one of the key actions on the path to decarbonization is preparing Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) analyses for each of our buildings. This is a method used to study the potential environmental impacts of a given product throughout its entire lifecycle—from the extraction or production of raw materials from natural resources, through production, incorporation into the building, usage, to final disposal or reuse. LCA is increasingly used as a tool to assess the sustainability of products, systems, and buildings.
Carbon footprint calculation
Calculating the carbon footprint is becoming a priority for companies in the context of environmental responsibility and climate change mitigation. At LemonTree, we focus on controlling the carbon footprint at every stage of the investment lifecycle. This allows us to minimize the negative impact of our activities, meet legislative requirements, and address the expectations of the market, tenants, and investors.
As we have indicated, to reliably calculate the carbon footprint of a given building, we consider the entire lifecycle. This means we must calculate both the embodied carbon footprint and the operational carbon footprint. However, we are particularly interested in stages A1-A3 within LCA, which cover processes from the extraction and production of raw materials through transport to product manufacturing. This type of detailed analysis allows us to estimate the emissions associated with each material from which the building is constructed and conduct a comprehensive assessment of its environmental impact. This way, we know exactly how much CO₂ and other harmful substances a building emits during different phases of its lifecycle.
A custom tool by LemonTree
Awareness of our environmental impact is key to the green transition. Therefore, LemonTree, as part of its activities related to creating modern logistics and service complexes, has developed a special tool for calculating the carbon footprint. Analysis of the results is a key element in minimizing the negative impact of buildings on the environment at every stage of their existence.
Our calculator enables the input of data from material EPD (Environmental Product Declarations) sheets and from the global Ecoinvent database, allowing for the selection of materials with lower emissions. An EPD is an environmental product declaration prepared by the manufacturer in accordance with standards (EN 15804 and ISO 21930, as well as the new CPR (Construction Products Regulations)), providing information on the GWP of a given material and its environmental impact. If an EPD is unavailable for a given material, data for an analogous material is used, or the global Ecoinvent environmental database is referenced, which contains averaged and accepted GWP (Global Warming Potential) values for given materials and is regularly updated.
Analyzing materials using these data sources allows for informed design decisions and minimizing the carbon footprint of buildings at every stage.
It also enables the selection of materials with less environmental impact. The verification process takes place already at the investment planning stage and the selection of the general contractor, where the priority is minimizing environmental impact while maintaining high-quality execution.
Reference model and future actions
As mentioned earlier, the basis for calculating the carbon footprint of a given investment is data verification, seeking materials with lower emissions, and comparative analysis. The starting point for calculating the carbon footprint was primarily defining the scope of the analysis and identifying all sources of emissions that significantly affect the overall carbon footprint of the investment. These activities allowed us to take the first step —conducting LCAs in accordance with the PN-EN 15978 standard for two facilities.
One of them, already existing, was built in the "traditional" model, where no material optimization for emissions was carried out during the execution phase. This investment served as the starting point and reference for calculating and preparing an LCA for a new building being realized in a sustainable model. The mentioned reference point is crucial. Thanks to it, we can compare data for investments in the "traditional" and sustainable models and indicate the extent to which the emissions of the investment were reduced by using materials with lower GWP.
It is worth emphasizing that there is currently no set benchmark on the market that everyone could follow. Therefore, at LemonTree, we created a proprietary comparative method that allows us to track our progress. From 2025, every building of ours will be measured according to the developed methodology.
Technologies that bring benefits
We have already mentioned the important role of embodied carbon.
But what about building operation? How can we reduce the operational carbon footprint in phases B1-B2? This is possible thanks to technologies that enhance energy efficiency or support water flow management. We want the innovations we apply to bring real, measurable benefits. The result of these two LCA phases—embodied and operational carbon—is crucial on the path to zero-emission new buildings by 2030.
A good example is our WESTSIDE SZCZECIN by LemonTree investment, where heat pumps were used along with supply and exhaust ventilation units. By combining this system with a photovoltaic installation on the roof, we will be able to reduce energy demand, translating into very tangible benefits for our tenants in the form of savings estimated at around PLN 450,000 annually on electricity bills. Another investment worth mentioning is BOOSTER ZABRZE by LemonTree. The use of heat pumps, photovoltaics combined with energy storage, and enhanced wall insulation are just a few solutions that reduce energy consumption.
There are many interesting solutions, and we are constantly looking for more. At LemonTree, we care about implementing the decarbonization process properly—with data analysis, continuous comparison, and improvement of material and technology parameters. Additionally, we created the document "Green Technical Standard," which serves as our compass on the path to realizing sustainable buildings. It contains a set of various technological and material solutions that we apply in our complexes. We believe that the actions outlined above are the right way to achieve our goal of building zero-emission buildings.