Sweco – A pioneer in environmental certifications of buildings

The construction industry plays a significant role in the green transition and attaining climate goals. The sustainability of our buildings is key to implementing environmental objectives.

Sweco offers a variety of services related to environmental certifications and sustainable development. Environmental certificates are standards or systems designed to assess, verify, and recognize the environmental performance of buildings, areas, or organizations. Renowned examples include LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method), and ISO 14001, which are internationally recognized certification systems.

In environmental certification projects, we act as environmental certification consultants, guiding the design and construction process according to the set goals and requirements.

Our role often also includes the preparation of documents and calculations related to the certifications. These tasks may involve, for instance, environmental impact assessments (LCA) including carbon footprint calculations, life cycle cost analysis and comparisons, assessment of climate change-related risks, daylight calculations, comparison of low-carbon energy solutions, passive design analysis, or advice on material efficiency in the project.

Sweco acts as an environmental certification consultant for various significant construction projects in Finland

Our portfolio includes projects such as the We Land office building – the first building in Finland to achieve an Outstanding-rating in the BREEAM environmental rating system at the design stage. Additionally, our projects include Finland’s first BREEAM-certified residential buildings, LEED-certified residential buildings, and the LEED-certified Helsinki Upper Secondary School of Natural Sciences in Kumpula.

Environmental rating systems measure environmental efficiency. They

– facilitate the implementation and verification of sustainable, environmentally responsible construction practices;

– assist in setting goals and measuring success;

– identify and verify that environmental considerations are integrated at every stage of the project, both during design and construction phases.

In Finland, the environmental rating systems used include:

• BREEAM & LEED – Internationally recognized, most well-known, and highly sought after by global investors. Predominantly used in Finland for commercial and office buildings, educational campuses, and schools, and increasingly applied to industrial and healthcare facilities as well as residential apartment projects.
• Rakennustiedon ympäristöluokitus (formerly RTS) – Finnish system with criteria closely reflecting those of BREEAM. Provides a comprehensive consideration on different aspects of environmental responsibility and is widely used across different building types, including schools, kindergartens, sports facilities, and residential apartments.
• Nordic Swan Ecolabel – Nordic label, popular especially in schools and kindergartens as well as residential buildings. Places an emphasis on material and chemical safety as well as health
• WELL building standard – Concentrates in the well-being and health of building users and is often used in conjunction with environmental certifications.

EU Taxonomy

The cornerstone of the EU’s sustainable finance framework, the EU Taxonomy, is also a type of environmental rating. The EU Taxonomy defines criteria for environmentally sustainable activities, aiming to direct financing towards environmentally sustainable targets. For instance, specific criteria have been established for new construction and refurbishment projects that must be met for the project to be deemed taxonomy compliant.

Sweco conducts taxonomy pre-assessments for projects, examining their eligibility, prerequisites, and requirements for taxonomy. We assist projects in meeting these criteria, review compliance, and prepare reports that fulfill taxonomy requirements. These may potentially also include climate risk assessment, carbon footprint calculation, construction site assessment, or circular economy report.

Picture: NCC