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Published 1 September 2026Publication date of this guide, aligned with the page's schema.org markup (datePublished: 2026-09-01).Source to be established — unverified figure 21 min read · the essentials in 2 min LCI Geneva SIA 390/1 · 2032 · KBOB Updated October 2026

Embodied energy in construction

For decades, a building's energy performance was measured solely by its operational consumption. Today, the energy embodied in materials — embodied energy — accounts for about a quarter of the non-renewable primary energy balance of a new low-energy apartment building, daily mobility included, and for most of the greenhouse gas emissions of most modern or renovated buildingsecobau (June 2025, § 1.3, p. 5): in most modern or renovated buildings, most GHG emissions arise at the construction stage. The quarter: SFOE 8719, p. 6 (42.0 of 158.9 kWh/m²·yr).Association ecobau — Bâtiments à faibles émissions de gaz à effet de serre — guide pour les maîtres d'ouvrages (état juin 2025, V1-0)2025-06 · accessed 2026-10-01. This has become a central issue, and Geneva law now frames it: a low-carbon concept is required for permit applications filed from 1 January 2029, limit values to be met from 1 January 2034RECMC art. 4 para. 1–2 and art. 8 para. 1–2: low-carbon concept for permit applications filed from 1 January 2029, limit values for those filed from 1 January 2034.République et canton de Genève — Recueil systématique genevois — Règlement concernant l'empreinte carbone des matériaux de construction (RECMC), rsGE L 5 05.052025-10-15 · accessed 2026-10-01.

In this guide
What is embodied energy? The building life cycle The footprint of materials LCI art. 117 & 118 SIA 390/1, KBOB and calculation tools Reduction strategies Labels and embodied energy Key questions
01 — Definition

What is embodied energy?

Embodied energy (or incorporated energy) refers to all the energy required to produce a building: raw material extraction, industrial processing, transport, on-site installation, maintenance, replacement over the building's life, then demolition and end-of-life treatment.

It is expressed in non-renewable primary energy — historically in MJ/m² of energy reference area (SRE), or in kWh/m²·yr annualised over the building's standard service life (60 years per SIA 2032 technical guidelineMinergie, embodied energy calculation for the ECO add-on, v2023.2, sect. 1, p. 3: building service life set at 60 years; amortisation periods per technical guideline SIA 2032:2020.Minergie Suisse — Calcul de l'énergie grise et des émissions grises de gaz à effet de serre pour le complément ECO au label Minergie, version 2023.22023-11-09 · accessed 2026-10-01). But the indicator now used by Geneva's legal framework is not energy: it is the embodied carbon, i.e. the balance of greenhouse gas emissions expressed in kg CO₂-eq/m²·yr.

A very well-insulated building consumes little operational energy — but if its walls are heavily reinforced concrete with synthetic foam insulation, its embodied energy can cancel out several years of operational savings.
~25 %
of the non-renewable primary energy balance of a low-energy apartment building, daily mobility included (SFOE: 42 of 159 kWh/m²·yr; one third without mobility)
60 years
reference service life per SIA 2032 for the annualised calculation
~5–10.5
kg CO₂-eq/m²·yr: ecobau target values for new construction (housing, offices)ecobau, June 2025, tables 4 and 5, pp. 22–23: early-design target values for new construction, 5 to 9.5 (housing) and 5.5 to 10.5 kg CO₂-eq/m²·yr (offices). RECMC limits: 11.3 and 12.6.Association ecobau — Bâtiments à faibles émissions de gaz à effet de serre — guide pour les maîtres d'ouvrages (état juin 2025, V1-0)2025-06 · accessed 2026-10-01 — Geneva regulatory indicator
~100–150
MJ/m²·yr: embodied energy of a new apartment building, from the Minergie-ECO limit values to the SFOE exampleMinergie-ECO, calculation v2023.2, sect. 4.2, p. 13: new apartment building, base limit values 28 and 35 kWh/m²·yr (≈ 100 and 126 MJ); SFOE 8719, p. 6: 42 kWh/m²·yr (151 MJ) for the example building.Minergie Suisse — Calcul de l'énergie grise et des émissions grises de gaz à effet de serre pour le complément ECO au label Minergie, version 2023.22023-11-09 · accessed 2026-10-01
Two indicators not to be confused Embodied energy measures a quantity of non-renewable primary energy (kWh or MJ/m²·yr). Embodied carbon measures greenhouse gas emissions (kg CO₂-eq/m²·yr). The two are related but distinct: a material can be energy-intensive without being very carbon-intensive, and vice versa. The decisive point in Geneva: the legal framework (LCI art. 117-118) regulates carbon — so compliance is measured in kg CO₂-eq/m²·yr, not in MJ.
Embodied energy vs operational energy Operational energy (heating, domestic hot water, ventilation, lighting) is the energy consumed during the building's life — this is what the HPE, Minergie® or Passivhaus labels measure. Embodied energy, by contrast, is "spent" even before the building is occupied. The more energy-efficient a building is in operation, the greater the relative share of embodied energy in its overall balance: the two now go hand in hand.
02 — Life cycle assessment

The building life cycle

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) — or Analyse du Cycle de Vie (ACV) — is the standardised method for quantifying a building's environmental impact from "quarry to landfill". In Switzerland, the technical guideline SIA 2032 (life cycle inventory method) and the European standard EN 15978 structure the LCA into four main modules.

A
Production & construction
A1–A3: raw material extraction, product manufacturing
A4: transport to site
A5: installation and construction waste
B
Use
B1: impacts during use
B2–B5: maintenance, repair, replacement
B6–B7: operational energy and water use
C
End of life
C1: deconstruction / demolition
C2: waste transport
C3–C4: waste processing, disposal
D
Beyond the system boundary
Net benefits: material recycling, energy recovery, reuse. Biogenic carbon — the CO₂ the tree took from the air as it grew and that the wood keeps in store — is not counted in the emissions balance under SIA 390/1 and KBOB: it is reported separately. It is therefore not a deductible emissions credit.

Geneva's regulatory calculation covers the manufacture of materials, their transport to site, their installation and their eventual disposal (RECMC, art. 1)RECMC art. 1 para. 1: the carbon footprint includes in particular emissions from manufacturing the materials, transporting them to site, installing them and their eventual disposal.République et canton de Genève — Recueil systématique genevois — Règlement concernant l'empreinte carbone des matériaux de construction (RECMC), rsGE L 5 05.052025-10-15 · accessed 2026-10-01 — i.e. modules A1–A5 and C — and follows the principles of SIA 390/1:2025, whose “construction” domain also includes the replacement of components during use (B4)ecobau, June 2025, annex 1, p. 21, after SIA 390/1: construction covers manufacture and installation, replacement of components during use, and deconstruction and disposal.Association ecobau — Bâtiments à faibles émissions de gaz à effet de serre — guide pour les maîtres d'ouvrages (état juin 2025, V1-0)2025-06 · accessed 2026-10-01. Module D stays outside the balance: neither SIA 390/1 nor the KBOB list credits negative emissions. SNBS, the Swiss Sustainable Building Standard, and DGNB, the German certification system for sustainable buildings, also include an LCA; both are whole-sustainability frameworks, not energy labels.

Module A Production + construction A1–A3 · A4 · A5 Module B Use & maintenance B1–B5 · B6–B7 Module C End of life C1–C4 Module D Net benefits recycling · recovery
Component service life: a key factor Embodied energy includes replacements over the service life (module B4). Under annex C of technical bulletin SIA 2032 in its 2010 edition (2013 corrigendum), the structure (excavation, load-bearing frame) counts 60 yearsCorrigendum C1:2013 to SIA 2032:2010, annex C: 60 years structure, 30–40 years envelope, 20–30 years services. Annex C of the current 2020 edition is not openly available: not re-checked.Société suisse des ingénieurs et des architectes (SIA) — Cahier technique SIA 2032 « L'énergie grise des bâtiments » — correctif C1:2013 à l'édition 2010, annexe C (durées d'amortissement)2013 · accessed 2026-09-04, the envelope (façades, roof, external finishes) 30 to 40 years and building services (mechanical ventilation, heat pump) 20 to 30 years. Insulation or a finish replaced twice over 60 years doubles its embodied energy impact — hence the importance of the intrinsic durability of the materials chosen.
03 — The footprint of materials

Not all materials are equal

Embodied energy varies considerably depending on the material. The Swiss database KBOB (Koordinationskonferenz der Bau- und Liegenschaftsorgane der öffentlichen Bauherren)Official name on kbob.admin.ch: Koordinationskonferenz der Bau- und Liegenschaftsorgane der öffentlichen Bauherren — the Swiss public-sector building owners' coordination conference.Confédération suisse — kbob.admin.ch — Conférence de coordination des services de la construction et des immeubles des maîtres d'ouvrage publics KBOBaccessed 2026-08-20 publishes, with ecobau, the life cycle data list on which SIA 2032, Minergie and Geneva's RECMC rely. The chart below compares construction embodied-carbon target values for new housing by construction type, per m² of energy reference area (SRE)The RECMC uses neither "surface de référence énergétique" nor "SRE": its annex states limit values in kg CO2 eq./m2/an and refers the calculation to standard SIA 390/1:2025 (art. 3 para. 2, art. 5 para. 2).République et canton de Genève — Recueil systématique (silgeneve.ch) — Règlement concernant l'empreinte carbone des matériaux de construction (RECMC), rsGE L 5 05.052025-10-15 · accessed 2026-09-04.

Heavyweight construction
ecobau “high” target: no notable extra cost
9–9.5 kg CO₂-eq/m²·yr
Heavyweight construction
ecobau “medium” target
8–8.5 kg CO₂-eq/m²·yr
Hybrid construction
ecobau “medium” target
7–7.5 kg CO₂-eq/m²·yr
Heavyweight construction
ecobau “low” target: today's technical minimum
6–6.5 kg CO₂-eq/m²·yr
Timber construction
ecobau “medium” target
6–6.5 kg CO₂-eq/m²·yr
Timber construction
ecobau “low” target: today's technical minimum
5–5.5 kg CO₂-eq/m²·yrecobau, June 2025, table 4, p. 22, new housing, heated floor area (kg CO₂-eq/m²·yr): heavyweight 9–9.5 / 8–8.5 / 6–6.5; hybrid 7–7.5 (medium); timber 6–6.5 (medium), 5–5.5 (low).Association ecobau — Bâtiments à faibles émissions de gaz à effet de serre — guide pour les maîtres d'ouvrages (état juin 2025, V1-0)2025-06 · accessed 2026-10-01

Early-design target values from the ecobau guide (June 2025, table 4) for the heated floor area of new housing, in kg CO₂-eq/m²·yr — the indicator enforceable in Geneva; each range covers high or low compactness. They are not measurements, and the guide does not distinguish insulation types. SIA 390/1 “construction” scope: manufacture and installation, replacements, deconstruction and disposal, annualised over 60 years, per m² SRE. In embodied energy, the Minergie-ECO limit values for new apartment buildings are 28 and 35 kWh/m²·yr, i.e. about 100 and 126 MJ/m²·yrMinergie, embodied energy calculation for the ECO add-on, v2023.2 (9.11.2023), sect. 4.2, p. 13: new apartment building, base limit values 28 (VL1) and 35 (VL2) kWh/m²·yr; × 3.6 = 100.8 and 126 MJ.Minergie Suisse — Calcul de l'énergie grise et des émissions grises de gaz à effet de serre pour le complément ECO au label Minergie, version 2023.22023-11-09 · accessed 2026-10-01.

According to the SFOE, the structural shell accounts for about one third of embodied energySFOE, guide to embodied energy in new buildings, p. 12: "about one third" for the structural shell (group C), "one fifth each" for interior fit-out (G) and services (D); C, D and G offer the greatest potential.Office fédéral de l'énergie (OFEN) / SuisseEnergie — L'énergie grise dans les nouveaux bâtiments — Guide pour les professionnelsaccessed 2026-09-04, with building services and interior fit-out about one fifth each.

Wood: a carbon advantage One cubic metre of wood stores the carbon of about one tonne of CO₂, per LignumLignum: “One cubic metre of wood stores the carbon of about one tonne of CO₂.” KBOB/ecobau list v9.0: glulam 439 kg/m³ × 0.446 kg C/kg = 196 kg C, × 44/12 ≈ 0.72 t CO₂.Lignum — Économie suisse du bois — Bois et CO2accessed 2026-08-20; the KBOB list gives about 0.7 t for glulam and cross-laminated timber (≈ 440 kg/m³, 0.45 kg biogenic carbon per kg). Species density makes the difference. At building scale the timber/concrete gap stays moderate: 6 against 8 kg CO₂-eq/m²·yr for new housing, i.e. 15 to 25 % less (ecobau). In module D, wood at end of life can be recovered for energy, returning part of the primary energy.
Steel: high performance, high energy Steel is very strong for its mass — but its production energy is high: 3.4 kWh of embodied energy per kg of reinforcing steel, i.e. about 12 GJ/t, against 0.18 kWh/kg for concrete (KBOB/ecobau list, version 9.0)KBOB/ecobau list 2022, v9.0 (14.07.2026), materials: reinforcing steel 06.003, 3.44 kWh/kg and 0.785 kg CO₂-eq/kg; steel section 06.012, 0.737; concrete 01.002, 0.175 kWh/kg; Stahl Gerlafingen 06.003.01, 0.482.KBOB / ecobau — Ökobilanzdaten im Baubereich / Données des écobilans dans la construction — liste KBOB/ecobau 2022, version 9.02026-07-14 · accessed 2026-10-01. The same list gives 0.79 kg CO₂-eq/kg for reinforcing steel and 0.74 kg CO₂-eq/kg for steel sections, manufacture and disposal included. Used in composite steel-concrete structures it markedly increases structural embodied energy; a manufacturer-specific figure can be markedly lower: Stahl Gerlafingen reinforcing steel is listed at 0.48 kg CO₂-eq/kg (manufacturer-specific data).
04 — Geneva's legal framework

LCI art. 117 & 118: what the law requires

The canton of Geneva has embedded, in its loi sur les constructions et les installations diverses (Buildings and Miscellaneous Installations Act, LCI, of 14 April 1988, rsGE L 5 05)LCI, rsGE L 5 05, of 14 April 1988 (in force 11 June 1988), title IIIA “Empreinte carbone des matériaux de construction”, art. 117 and 118; consolidated text as at 22.10.2025.République et canton de Genève — Recueil systématique genevois — rsGE L 5 05 — Loi sur les constructions et les installations diverses (LCI), du 14 avril 19882025-10-22 · accessed 2026-10-01, requirements that go beyond mere operational energy performance. Articles 117 and 118 form a complementary pair: one sets the rule for material selection, the other the method for measuring their carbon impact.

LCI · Art. 117 Embodied carbon of materials — priority to reuse
Article 117 requires every major construction or renovation to be designed and built with materials that minimise its carbon footprint, following a clear hierarchy: This is the legal framework for reuse on Geneva construction sites. The same logic already guided the zero-waste approach launched in 2022 on the Carouge 87 renovation, presented as French-speaking Switzerland's first site with a zero-waste targetChantiers Magazine (28.11.2022): project launched early 2022; “le premier chantier à objectif zéro déchet pour la régie et plus largement le premier en Suisse Romande”.Chantiers Magazine — Zéro déchet — Rénovation durable au cœur de Genève2022-11-28 · accessed 2026-08-20.
LCI · Art. 118 Calculating embodied carbon — full life cycle
Article 118 defines the carbon footprint of each material as the balance of its greenhouse gas emissions over its entire life cycle, and leaves the calculation details to the Council of State. The RECMC measures it in kg CO₂-eq/m²·yr and counts the manufacture of materials, their transport to site, their installation and their eventual disposal (art. 1). In practice:
The calculation method by category The carbon balance is not calculated material by material: the low-carbon concept required by the RECMC presents the result overall and for each of five categories — underground structures and works, horizontal and vertical structures, envelope, fixed interior fit-out, technical installations (art. 6) — each assessed using KBOB values. It is this breakdown that makes the approach practicable and comparable from one project to another. It is set out in full, together with its application to a real site, in the reuse dossier.
And what about the HPE / THPE levels? Contrary to a common misconception, the HPE and THPE levels are not defined by these articles of the LCI: they fall under the règlement d'application de la loi sur l'énergie (implementing regulation of the Geneva Energy Act, REn, art. 12B and 12C — rsGE L 2 30.01)The REn is the implementing regulation of the Energy Act and carries the number rsGE L 2 30.01; its art. 12B (HPE) and 12C (THPE) define the Geneva standards.République et canton de Genève — Recueil systématique (silgeneve.ch) — rsGE L 2 30.01 — Règlement d'application de la loi sur l'énergie (REn), du 31 août 19881988-08-31 · accessed 2026-08-20 and concern the energy performance of operation. See the comparative guide to labels.
Weighing of interests: LEn (L 2 30) ↔ LCI The two frameworks can come into tension. Aiming for a THPE level under the LEn drives down operational energy — more insulation, higher-performance glazing, more building services. Yet each of these additions carries a cost in embodied energy and embodied carbon, precisely what the LCI aims to limit. Beyond a certain point, the operational gain can be partly cancelled out by the additional construction carbon. Neither the LCI nor the RECMC says which of the two logics prevails in a conflict. In the absence of a rule, best practice is to optimise jointly both balances from the design stage, rather than maximising one at the expense of the other.
05 — Calculation tools

SIA 390/1, KBOB and calculation tools

Calculating embodied energy rests on three complementary pillars: a standard and its methodological technical guideline (SIA 390/1 and SIA 2032), a database of material values (KBOB), and software tools that combine them.

Swiss standard
SIA 390/1 — The Climate Path
Standard "The Climate Path – Greenhouse gas balance over the life cycle of buildings" (2025 edition, replacing the SIA 2040 technical guideline)SIA 390/1:2025, public extract: approved 5.12.2024, valid from 1.2.2025, replaces technical guideline SIA 2040:2017; target values A (ambitious) and B (basic); biogenic carbon reported separately.SIA — Société suisse des ingénieurs et des architectes — SIA 390/1:2025 La voie du climat – Bilan des gaz à effet de serre sur le cycle de vie des bâtiments (extrait public)2025-02-01 · accessed 2026-10-01. Sets target values in kg CO₂-eq/m²·yr — a basic and an ambitious value. It is the standard the RECMC refers to (art. 1, 3 and 5); LCI art. 118 itself relies on the “state of the art”.
Swiss technical guideline
SIA 2032:2020 — Embodied energy
Technical guideline “Embodied energy – Life cycle assessment for the construction of buildings”, 2020 edition: components to include, amortisation periods (annex C), input and presentation rules. It is the "calculation specification" used in practice; Geneva's RECMC, for its part, refers only to standard SIA 390/1:2025 and, first and foremost, to the KBOB database.
Geneva cantonal tool
Bilan carbone chantier (BCC, Construction Site Carbon Balance)
Platform developed by the State of Geneva, SIG and SSE (formerly B2CB, renewed in 2025)SSE Geneva, contact point of 09.10.2025: the BCC platform was "lancée en 2025 pour remplacer l'ancien outil Bilan Carbone Chantier et Bâtiment (B2CB), développé en 2014 par la SSE Genève" with the State and SIG.Société Suisse des Entrepreneurs — Section de Genève — Point contact « Nouvelle plateforme bilan carbone chantier (BCC) »2025-10-09 · accessed 2026-09-04. Calculates a construction project's GHG emissions by trade pathway (building, civil engineering, networks). A default pathway is free once an account is created — it is a calculation aid: compliance under the RECMC is established using standard SIA 390/1:2025RECMC art. 5 and 6: the calculation is based first and foremost on the KBOB database and on standard SIA 390/1:2025, by work domain; no software is prescribed.République et canton de Genève — Recueil systématique (silgeneve.ch) — Règlement concernant l'empreinte carbone des matériaux de construction (RECMC), rsGE L 5 05.052025-10-15 · accessed 2026-08-20 and KBOB data, no software being prescribed.
Swiss database
KBOB — Life Cycle Inventory Data
“KBOB/ecobau list 2022”, version 9.0 of 14 July 2026, published by Swiss public-sector building owners with ecobau. For common construction materials it gives eco-points (UBP), renewable and non-renewable primary energy — the latter being embodied energy —, greenhouse gas emissions in kg CO₂-eq — the carbon indicator, distinct from energy — and biogenic carbon content.

The RECMC prescribes no software. For Minergie-ECO and SNBS, ecobau keeps the list of accredited tools — Enerweb, GREG, Lesosai, THERMO and vyzn among othersecobau, June 2025, annex 3, table 12, p. 31: Enerweb, Greg, Lesosai, THERMO, vyzn accredited; Ecotool, the Minergie tool and the SIA 2040 tool not accredited, not accepted for detailed Minergie-ECO or SNBS proof.Association ecobau — Bâtiments à faibles émissions de gaz à effet de serre — guide pour les maîtres d'ouvrages (état juin 2025, V1-0)2025-06 · accessed 2026-10-01; Ecotool and the Minergie tool are free but do not count as detailed proof. PHPP, an operational-balance tool, is not on the list. In Switzerland it is the KBOB values that count.

When to calculate? Embodied energy is ideally calculated in two stages: a preliminary estimate at the preliminary design phase (APD) to guide structure and envelope choices — while the decisive choices are still openSIA 2032:2020, foreword: the room for manoeuvre is large at the start of planning and shrinks rapidly, building form and size and construction type being the main factors; annex D, preliminary-design calculation table.SIA — Société suisse des ingénieurs et des architectes — SIA 2032:2020 L'énergie grise – Établissement du bilan écologique pour la construction de bâtiments (extrait public)2020-08-01 · accessed 2026-10-01 — then a detailed calculation, presented in the low-carbon concept attached to the building permit application (RECMC art. 6 para. 3)RECMC art. 6 para. 3: the low-carbon concept sets out the method, the calculation means and the result, overall and per category; where applicable it is attached to the building permit application.République et canton de Genève — Recueil systématique genevois — Règlement concernant l'empreinte carbone des matériaux de construction (RECMC), rsGE L 5 05.052025-10-15 · accessed 2026-10-01 or in a label's proof file, then updated during execution. A late calculation (after construction) allows verification but no longer optimisation.
06 — Reduction strategies

How to reduce embodied energy

Unlike operational energy, embodied energy cannot be offset after the fact: it is committed at the time of construction. Structuring decisions must therefore be made upstream, from the earliest sketches.

Bio-based and geo-sourced materials

Solid wood (CLT, glulam), cellulose fibre, hemp, straw, rammed earth, raw earth bricks: per kilo, the KBOB list gives for example 1.05 kWh of embodied energy for cellulose fibre against 30 for EPS and PUR. At building scale the gap narrows sharply (see section 03). Wood also stores atmospheric carbon (sink effect). Local geo-sourced materials (stone, earth) reduce transport energy.

Reuse and the circular economy

Reusing an existing beam or a concrete slab avoids most of the manufacturing embodied energy of a new component; the RECMC names reuse as a means of reducing the carbon footprint (art. 5 para. 3). Structural reuse (floors, framing, façades) is one of the most powerful levers.

Compactness and structural optimisation

Less material means less embodied energy. A compact form reduces envelope surface area. A structure sized precisely (accurate structural calculation, optimised sections) avoids over-consumption of concrete or steel. The principle of "building lean" is the first embodied-energy move, even before the choice of materials.

Durability and ease of disassembly

A durable material is replaced only once over 60 years instead of two or three — proportionally reducing its B4 impact. Moreover, a "demountable" design (mechanical fixings rather than adhesives, reversible assemblies) enables future reuse of components: this is circular architecture in practice.

Local sourcing and short supply chains

Transport to site (module A4) is part of the carbon footprint under the RECMC (art. 1): it is a lever that can be acted on. Favouring certified regional timber (FSC/PEFC), insulation manufactured in Switzerland or neighbouring France, and local aggregates reduces this impact while supporting local supply chains.

07 — Labels and embodied energy

Which labels include embodied energy?

Only certain labels go beyond operational energy performance to include embodied energy and the carbon balance of materials. The table below summarises the main certifications available in French-speaking Switzerland and neighbouring France. Passivhaus Classic and Geneva's HPE/THPE levels do not appear: they cover only operational energy (REn art. 12B/12C — rsGE L 2 30.01)HPE (REn art. 12B) and THPE (REn art. 12C) standards, rsGE L 2 30.01: they address operational energy performance, independently of LCI art. 117-118.République et canton de Genève — Recueil systématique (silgeneve.ch) — rsGE L 2 30.01 — Règlement d'application de la loi sur l'énergie (REn), du 31 août 19881988-08-31 · accessed 2026-08-20, the embodied carbon of materials falling under LCI art. 117–118.

Label Embodied energy required Standard / method Remark
Minergie® / -P / -A and ECO add-on ✓ Yes SIA 2032:2020 + KBOB Limit value for embodied emissions on every new build since the 2023 standards, and on major renovations (2026.1 label regulations, sect. 15)Minergie label regulations 2026.1, sect. 15: new builds and major renovations must meet an embodied-emissions limit value, calculated per SIA 2032:2020 and KBOB data 2009/1:2022; values in annex G.Minergie Suisse — Règlement des labels MINERGIE®/MINERGIE-P®/MINERGIE-A®, version 2026.12026-01-08 · accessed 2026-10-01; the ECO add-on adds embodied-energy limit values and health/materials criteria
SNBS · DGNB ✓ Yes — central Each framework has its own LCA; SNBS: thresholds based on the Minergie-ECO limit values Overall sustainability frameworks, not energy labels: LCA weighted into the score.
RE2020 (France) ✓ Yes — Ic construction Dynamic regulatory LCA (order of 4 August 2021) Ic construction indicator (kg CO₂-eq/m², cumulative over the 50-year reference study period)Guide RE2020, September 2026 version (includes the decree of 18 March 2026), p. 29: Icconstruction_maxmoyen for apartment buildings — 740 kg CO₂-eq/m² (2022 to 2024), 650, 580 (2028 to 2030), 490 from 2031; 50-year reference study period (p. 10).Ministères Aménagement du territoire et Transition écologique / Cerema — Guide RE2020 — Réglementation environnementale des bâtiments neufs (version septembre 2026)2026-09 · accessed 2026-10-02 with thresholds tightening in 2025, 2028 and then 2031
08 — Key questions

What clients ask

Is embodied energy mandatory in Geneva?

Not yet for a private project: the low-carbon concept applies to permit applications filed from 1 January 2029, the limit values to those filed from 1 January 2034; the canton complies from 2027 (RECMC art. 4 and 8). The principle is already in the law: LCI art. 117 requires limiting the embodied carbon of materials — priority to reuse, then to recycled or low-carbon-footprint materials — and art. 118 defines the method. The figures and the timetable come from the RECMC: see section 04. It covers new buildings within the scope of SIA 390/1 that require a building permit, outside the fast-track procedure, and major renovations: at least two categories substantially renovated, or one fully renovated (RECMC art. 1 para. 6 and 7)RECMC art. 1 para. 6: new building within the scope of SIA 390/1:2025, requiring a permit, outside the fast-track procedure; para. 7: substantial renovation of at least 2 categories or full renovation of one, heat generation excluded.République et canton de Genève — Recueil systématique genevois — Règlement concernant l'empreinte carbone des matériaux de construction (RECMC), rsGE L 5 05.052025-10-15 · accessed 2026-10-01. At federal level, the Energy Act has required the cantons since 1 January 2025 to set embodied-energy limit values for new buildings and major renovations (EnA art. 45 para. 3 let. e)Energy Act art. 45 para. 3 let. e: the cantons issue provisions on embodied-energy limit values for new buildings and major renovations; letter in force since 1 January 2025 (AS 2024 648).Confédération suisse — Fedlex — RS 730.0 — Loi sur l'énergie (LEne), du 30 septembre 2016, état au 1er avril 20262026-04-01 · accessed 2026-10-01.

Can concrete be kept while still reducing embodied energy?

Yes, several levers exist: low-clinker concrete (cement substituted with fly ash or blast furnace slag), recycled concrete for certain applications, optimised structural sections, and offsetting through the choice of bio-based insulation and low-embodied-energy finishes. A heavyweight building designed with high ambition can reach 6 to 6.5 kg CO₂-eq/m²·yr, the target value of a timber building of medium ambitionecobau, June 2025, table 4, p. 22, new housing: heavyweight, “low” target 6–6.5 kg CO₂-eq/m²·yr; timber, “medium” target 6–6.5.Association ecobau — Bâtiments à faibles émissions de gaz à effet de serre — guide pour les maîtres d'ouvrages (état juin 2025, V1-0)2025-06 · accessed 2026-10-01.

At what project phase should this be addressed?

Embodied energy is essentially "won" or "lost" during the preliminary studies (EP) and preliminary design (APD) phases. A quick estimate based on a massing and a construction system is enough to guide the major choices. Waiting until the execution file to think about it means it is no longer possible to act on the decisions that really matter.

How can embodied energy be integrated into an architecture competition?

The brief can set an embodied-carbon criterion in kg CO₂-eq/m²·yr. At competition stage an element-based estimate is enough: technical guideline SIA 2032:2020 provides a calculation table for preliminary studies and preliminary design (annex D) and a list of common construction elements; ecobau gives target values by construction type to set the goal.

Key points

What to remember, and in what order to act

  1. Fix the indicator before anything else. Write kg CO₂-eq/m²·yr into the brief: that is the figure that will be checked, not the MJ.
  2. Estimate from the first sketch. A ratio per construction system is enough to arbitrate structure and envelope — while everything is still open.
  3. Break the building down by trade packages. Foundations, structure, envelope, fit-out, services: the calculation and the substitutions are decided package by package.
  4. Work from the KBOB data and standard SIA 390/1. No software is imposed: the database and the standard are what count.
  5. Close the balance before filing the permit application. A calculation run after construction lets you record, no longer optimise.
  6. Do not trade one balance against the other. Every extra centimetre of insulation has a carbon cost: handle energy and carbon together, from design onwards.

GenevaLCI art. 117 and 118 and the RECMC (rsGE L 5 05.05): reuse first, then recycled or low-footprint materials, with quantified limit values.

SwitzerlandSince 1 January 2025 the federal Energy Act has required the cantons to set embodied-energy limit values for new buildings and major renovations (art. 45 para. 3 let. e). SIA 390/1:2025 and the KBOB data are the reference; Minergie, Minergie-ECO, SNBS and DGNB take embodied energy into account, voluntarily.

Neighbouring FranceThe RE2020 requires a statutory life-cycle assessment for the new buildings it covers — housing since 2022, offices and schools since July 2022 — through the Ic construction indicator in kg CO₂-eq/m² over 50 years. Its method and scope differ from Geneva's: the two do not compare.

Sources and references (34)

Every figure and every claim in this dossier links back to its source. Hover or tap a footnote marker to see it.

  1. Source to be established — unverified figure
    Publication date of this guide, aligned with the page's schema.org markup (datePublished: 2026-09-01).
  2. Association ecobau — Bâtiments à faibles émissions de gaz à effet de serre — guide pour les maîtres d'ouvrages (état juin 2025, V1-0) (2025-06 · accessed 2026-10-01)
    ecobau (June 2025, § 1.3, p. 5): in most modern or renovated buildings, most GHG emissions arise at the construction stage. The quarter: SFOE 8719, p. 6 (42.0 of 158.9 kWh/m²·yr).
  3. République et canton de Genève — Recueil systématique genevois — Règlement concernant l'empreinte carbone des matériaux de construction (RECMC), rsGE L 5 05.05 (2025-10-15 · accessed 2026-10-01)
    RECMC art. 4 para. 1–2 and art. 8 para. 1–2: low-carbon concept for permit applications filed from 1 January 2029, limit values for those filed from 1 January 2034.
  4. Minergie Suisse — Calcul de l'énergie grise et des émissions grises de gaz à effet de serre pour le complément ECO au label Minergie, version 2023.2 (2023-11-09 · accessed 2026-10-01)
    Minergie, embodied energy calculation for the ECO add-on, v2023.2, sect. 1, p. 3: building service life set at 60 years; amortisation periods per technical guideline SIA 2032:2020.
  5. Association ecobau — Bâtiments à faibles émissions de gaz à effet de serre — guide pour les maîtres d'ouvrages (état juin 2025, V1-0) (2025-06 · accessed 2026-10-01)
    ecobau, June 2025, tables 4 and 5, pp. 22–23: early-design target values for new construction, 5 to 9.5 (housing) and 5.5 to 10.5 kg CO₂-eq/m²·yr (offices). RECMC limits: 11.3 and 12.6.
  6. Minergie Suisse — Calcul de l'énergie grise et des émissions grises de gaz à effet de serre pour le complément ECO au label Minergie, version 2023.2 (2023-11-09 · accessed 2026-10-01)
    Minergie-ECO, calculation v2023.2, sect. 4.2, p. 13: new apartment building, base limit values 28 and 35 kWh/m²·yr (≈ 100 and 126 MJ); SFOE 8719, p. 6: 42 kWh/m²·yr (151 MJ) for the example building.
  7. République et canton de Genève — Recueil systématique genevois — Règlement concernant l'empreinte carbone des matériaux de construction (RECMC), rsGE L 5 05.05 (2025-10-15 · accessed 2026-10-01)
    RECMC art. 1 para. 1: the carbon footprint includes in particular emissions from manufacturing the materials, transporting them to site, installing them and their eventual disposal.
  8. Association ecobau — Bâtiments à faibles émissions de gaz à effet de serre — guide pour les maîtres d'ouvrages (état juin 2025, V1-0) (2025-06 · accessed 2026-10-01)
    ecobau, June 2025, annex 1, p. 21, after SIA 390/1: construction covers manufacture and installation, replacement of components during use, and deconstruction and disposal.
  9. Société suisse des ingénieurs et des architectes (SIA) — Cahier technique SIA 2032 « L'énergie grise des bâtiments » — correctif C1:2013 à l'édition 2010, annexe C (durées d'amortissement) (2013 · accessed 2026-09-04)
    Corrigendum C1:2013 to SIA 2032:2010, annex C: 60 years structure, 30–40 years envelope, 20–30 years services. Annex C of the current 2020 edition is not openly available: not re-checked.
  10. Confédération suisse — kbob.admin.ch — Conférence de coordination des services de la construction et des immeubles des maîtres d'ouvrage publics KBOB (accessed 2026-08-20)
    Official name on kbob.admin.ch: Koordinationskonferenz der Bau- und Liegenschaftsorgane der öffentlichen Bauherren — the Swiss public-sector building owners' coordination conference.
  11. République et canton de Genève — Recueil systématique (silgeneve.ch) — Règlement concernant l'empreinte carbone des matériaux de construction (RECMC), rsGE L 5 05.05 (2025-10-15 · accessed 2026-09-04)
    The RECMC uses neither "surface de référence énergétique" nor "SRE": its annex states limit values in kg CO2 eq./m2/an and refers the calculation to standard SIA 390/1:2025 (art. 3 para. 2, art. 5 para. 2).
  12. Association ecobau — Bâtiments à faibles émissions de gaz à effet de serre — guide pour les maîtres d'ouvrages (état juin 2025, V1-0) (2025-06 · accessed 2026-10-01)
    ecobau, June 2025, table 4, p. 22, new housing, heated floor area (kg CO₂-eq/m²·yr): heavyweight 9–9.5 / 8–8.5 / 6–6.5; hybrid 7–7.5 (medium); timber 6–6.5 (medium), 5–5.5 (low).
  13. Minergie Suisse — Calcul de l'énergie grise et des émissions grises de gaz à effet de serre pour le complément ECO au label Minergie, version 2023.2 (2023-11-09 · accessed 2026-10-01)
    Minergie, embodied energy calculation for the ECO add-on, v2023.2 (9.11.2023), sect. 4.2, p. 13: new apartment building, base limit values 28 (VL1) and 35 (VL2) kWh/m²·yr; × 3.6 = 100.8 and 126 MJ.
  14. Office fédéral de l'énergie (OFEN) / SuisseEnergie — L'énergie grise dans les nouveaux bâtiments — Guide pour les professionnels (accessed 2026-09-04)
    SFOE, guide to embodied energy in new buildings, p. 12: "about one third" for the structural shell (group C), "one fifth each" for interior fit-out (G) and services (D); C, D and G offer the greatest potential.
  15. Lignum — Économie suisse du bois — Bois et CO2 (accessed 2026-08-20)
    Lignum: “One cubic metre of wood stores the carbon of about one tonne of CO₂.” KBOB/ecobau list v9.0: glulam 439 kg/m³ × 0.446 kg C/kg = 196 kg C, × 44/12 ≈ 0.72 t CO₂.
  16. KBOB / ecobau — Ökobilanzdaten im Baubereich / Données des écobilans dans la construction — liste KBOB/ecobau 2022, version 9.0 (2026-07-14 · accessed 2026-10-01)
    KBOB/ecobau list 2022, v9.0 (14.07.2026), materials: reinforcing steel 06.003, 3.44 kWh/kg and 0.785 kg CO₂-eq/kg; steel section 06.012, 0.737; concrete 01.002, 0.175 kWh/kg; Stahl Gerlafingen 06.003.01, 0.482.
  17. République et canton de Genève — Recueil systématique genevois — rsGE L 5 05 — Loi sur les constructions et les installations diverses (LCI), du 14 avril 1988 (2025-10-22 · accessed 2026-10-01)
    LCI, rsGE L 5 05, of 14 April 1988 (in force 11 June 1988), title IIIA “Empreinte carbone des matériaux de construction”, art. 117 and 118; consolidated text as at 22.10.2025.
  18. République et canton de Genève — Recueil systématique genevois — rsGE L 5 05 — Loi sur les constructions et les installations diverses (LCI), du 14 avril 1988 (2025-10-22 · accessed 2026-10-01)
    LCI art. 117: para. 1, every major construction or renovation minimises its carbon footprint; para. 2, reuse first; para. 3, failing that, recycled or low-carbon-footprint materials.
  19. Chantiers Magazine — Zéro déchet — Rénovation durable au cœur de Genève (2022-11-28 · accessed 2026-08-20)
    Chantiers Magazine (28.11.2022): project launched early 2022; “le premier chantier à objectif zéro déchet pour la régie et plus largement le premier en Suisse Romande”.
  20. République et canton de Genève — Recueil systématique (silgeneve.ch) — Règlement concernant l'empreinte carbone des matériaux de construction (RECMC), rsGE L 5 05.05 (2025-10-15 · accessed 2026-08-20)
    RECMC adopted 15.10.2025, in force 22.10.2025: renovation 5 kg CO₂-eq/m²/yr; new build 11.3 (housing) and 12.6 (administration, schools, retail, restaurants), based on SIA 390/1:2025.
  21. République et canton de Genève — Recueil systématique (silgeneve.ch) — Règlement concernant l'empreinte carbone des matériaux de construction (RECMC), rsGE L 5 05.05 (2025-10-15 · accessed 2026-08-20)
    RECMC art. 4 and 8: low-carbon concept for applications filed from 1.1.2029, limit values from 1.1.2034; cantonal buildings: both from 2027, for projects without an investment act or study credit at 1.1.2027.
  22. République et canton de Genève — Recueil systématique (silgeneve.ch) — rsGE L 2 30.01 — Règlement d'application de la loi sur l'énergie (REn), du 31 août 1988 (1988-08-31 · accessed 2026-08-20)
    The REn is the implementing regulation of the Energy Act and carries the number rsGE L 2 30.01; its art. 12B (HPE) and 12C (THPE) define the Geneva standards.
  23. SIA — Société suisse des ingénieurs et des architectes — SIA 390/1:2025 La voie du climat – Bilan des gaz à effet de serre sur le cycle de vie des bâtiments (extrait public) (2025-02-01 · accessed 2026-10-01)
    SIA 390/1:2025, public extract: approved 5.12.2024, valid from 1.2.2025, replaces technical guideline SIA 2040:2017; target values A (ambitious) and B (basic); biogenic carbon reported separately.
  24. Société Suisse des Entrepreneurs — Section de Genève — Point contact « Nouvelle plateforme bilan carbone chantier (BCC) » (2025-10-09 · accessed 2026-09-04)
    SSE Geneva, contact point of 09.10.2025: the BCC platform was "lancée en 2025 pour remplacer l'ancien outil Bilan Carbone Chantier et Bâtiment (B2CB), développé en 2014 par la SSE Genève" with the State and SIG.
  25. République et canton de Genève — Recueil systématique (silgeneve.ch) — Règlement concernant l'empreinte carbone des matériaux de construction (RECMC), rsGE L 5 05.05 (2025-10-15 · accessed 2026-08-20)
    RECMC art. 5 and 6: the calculation is based first and foremost on the KBOB database and on standard SIA 390/1:2025, by work domain; no software is prescribed.
  26. Association ecobau — Bâtiments à faibles émissions de gaz à effet de serre — guide pour les maîtres d'ouvrages (état juin 2025, V1-0) (2025-06 · accessed 2026-10-01)
    ecobau, June 2025, annex 3, table 12, p. 31: Enerweb, Greg, Lesosai, THERMO, vyzn accredited; Ecotool, the Minergie tool and the SIA 2040 tool not accredited, not accepted for detailed Minergie-ECO or SNBS proof.
  27. SIA — Société suisse des ingénieurs et des architectes — SIA 2032:2020 L'énergie grise – Établissement du bilan écologique pour la construction de bâtiments (extrait public) (2020-08-01 · accessed 2026-10-01)
    SIA 2032:2020, foreword: the room for manoeuvre is large at the start of planning and shrinks rapidly, building form and size and construction type being the main factors; annex D, preliminary-design calculation table.
  28. République et canton de Genève — Recueil systématique genevois — Règlement concernant l'empreinte carbone des matériaux de construction (RECMC), rsGE L 5 05.05 (2025-10-15 · accessed 2026-10-01)
    RECMC art. 6 para. 3: the low-carbon concept sets out the method, the calculation means and the result, overall and per category; where applicable it is attached to the building permit application.
  29. République et canton de Genève — Recueil systématique (silgeneve.ch) — rsGE L 2 30.01 — Règlement d'application de la loi sur l'énergie (REn), du 31 août 1988 (1988-08-31 · accessed 2026-08-20)
    HPE (REn art. 12B) and THPE (REn art. 12C) standards, rsGE L 2 30.01: they address operational energy performance, independently of LCI art. 117-118.
  30. Minergie Suisse — Règlement des labels MINERGIE®/MINERGIE-P®/MINERGIE-A®, version 2026.1 (2026-01-08 · accessed 2026-10-01)
    Minergie label regulations 2026.1, sect. 15: new builds and major renovations must meet an embodied-emissions limit value, calculated per SIA 2032:2020 and KBOB data 2009/1:2022; values in annex G.
  31. Ministères Aménagement du territoire et Transition écologique / Cerema — Guide RE2020 — Réglementation environnementale des bâtiments neufs (version septembre 2026) (2026-09 · accessed 2026-10-02)
    Guide RE2020, September 2026 version (includes the decree of 18 March 2026), p. 29: Icconstruction_maxmoyen for apartment buildings — 740 kg CO₂-eq/m² (2022 to 2024), 650, 580 (2028 to 2030), 490 from 2031; 50-year reference study period (p. 10).
  32. République et canton de Genève — Recueil systématique genevois — Règlement concernant l'empreinte carbone des matériaux de construction (RECMC), rsGE L 5 05.05 (2025-10-15 · accessed 2026-10-01)
    RECMC art. 1 para. 6: new building within the scope of SIA 390/1:2025, requiring a permit, outside the fast-track procedure; para. 7: substantial renovation of at least 2 categories or full renovation of one, heat generation excluded.
  33. Confédération suisse — Fedlex — RS 730.0 — Loi sur l'énergie (LEne), du 30 septembre 2016, état au 1er avril 2026 (2026-04-01 · accessed 2026-10-01)
    Energy Act art. 45 para. 3 let. e: the cantons issue provisions on embodied-energy limit values for new buildings and major renovations; letter in force since 1 January 2025 (AS 2024 648).
  34. Association ecobau — Bâtiments à faibles émissions de gaz à effet de serre — guide pour les maîtres d'ouvrages (état juin 2025, V1-0) (2025-06 · accessed 2026-10-01)
    ecobau, June 2025, table 4, p. 22, new housing: heavyweight, “low” target 6–6.5 kg CO₂-eq/m²·yr; timber, “medium” target 6–6.5.

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