Less climate emissions from cement in Nordic Swan Ecolabelled building products
Emissions from cement production account for 5% of the world's total greenhouse gas emissions. Through new, stricter climate requirements for cement in chemical building products, the Nordic Swan Ecolabel can contribute to a more sustainable construction industry. If all cement used annually in Sweden met the Nordic Swan Ecolabel's requirements, it could save greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 226,000 cars' emissions.
Through the Nordic Swan Ecolabel's new, stricter requirements, cement with better environmental performance can be used in Nordic Swan Ecolabel building products, which reduces the total material consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The Nordic Swan Ecolabel is a well-known ecolabel that is recognised by 98% of consumers and can be found on a variety of construction products.
– Now it will be easier for consumers, buyers and procurers to make the right choice for the environment and climate. In this way, they can contribute to more sustainable construction. There is an urgent need to achieve environmental and climate goals, and we are pleased to see that the EU wants to speed up this work through the new Clean Industrial Deal strategy, says Anna Linusson, CEO of Ecolabelling Sweden.
With a life-cycle-based assessment of cement's climate impact, it will be possible to choose building products with cement as a raw material – mortar, plaster, filler, sealants and adhesives – with better environmental performance. This can reduce the climate footprint of the Nordic Swan Ecolabel building product that includes cement. By linking the Nordic Swan Ecolabel's limit value for CO₂/tonne cement to the clinker content, it will be possible to use high-performance cement in smaller quantities in the products. If all cement in Sweden met the Nordic Swan Ecolabel's requirements, Sweden could reduce CO₂ emissions by 182,000 tonnes per year. This is equivalent to:
- 0.8–1% of total emissions from the Swedish construction sector.
- Climate savings equal to the emissions from approximately 226,000 passenger cars annually.
The EU's New Industrial Deal with a focus on cement
With the help of the Clean Industrial Deal and the upcoming legislation Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act, the EU wants to ensure more strategic products with low climate emissions. More products will also be manufactured in the EU to increase preparedness. Cement is highlighted as an example. Public procurement is identified as particularly important for driving development, and a new proposal will be presented in 2026. The aim is to revise the framework for public procurement.
The Nordic Swan Ecolabel's new requirements for cement in chemical building products mean that:
- Climate impact is reported as "Gross GWP" (gross), a measure that includes all emissions, including those from biofuels and process emissions. This differs from "Net GWP", which is often used in the industry, but allows certain emissions to be excluded. The Nordic Swan Ecolabel requires Gross GWP to report climate impact as comprehensively and fairly as possible.
- Only product- and site-specific Environmental Product Declarations are used.
- The data quality meets at least the "Fair" level according to EN 15804+A2 for traceability and uniform calculation methods.
- The Nordic Swan Ecolabel is a Type 1 ecolabel and sets requirements from a life cycle perspective. Several other criteria also apply to chemical construction products, such as requirements for environmental and health properties in chemicals. For example, there are strict requirements for substances classified as carcinogenic and that can damage the genetic material or reproductive capacity.
Read more: Chemical building products 097
Clinker content that takes a holistic approach
The largest emissions of greenhouse gases for cement come from the so-called clinker process, where limestone is heated to high temperatures and causes carbon dioxide emissions. The Nordic Swan Ecolabel's limit value is set in line with Cembureau Low Carbon Cement Projection (Band E) and is based on Gross GWP. This means that cement with different clinker levels is assessed more accurately based on its climate impact. Unlike in the taxonomy, where cement with a low clinker content is rewarded, which means that more cement is required in the product to achieve the desired function.
The Nordic Swan Ecolabel's limit values scale from 264 kg CO₂/tonne cement at 0% clinker to 825 kg CO₂/tonne at 100% clinker.
When we compare the Nordic Swan Ecolabel's limit value (685 kg CO₂/tonne cement at 75% clinker) with a reasonable industry standard (750 kg CO₂/tonne cement at the same clinker content), we see a potential saving of 65 kg CO₂, low, per tonne of cement. This provides a total climate saving of approximately 182,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year in Sweden, which is equivalent to the emissions from approximately 226,000 passenger cars.
The calculation shows a direction for how the construction sector can reduce its climate impact through better choice of materials and more efficient production.
How have we calculated this?
Cement use in Sweden
- According to SGU, approximately 2.8 million tonnes of cement are used per year in Sweden. This represents 0.8–1% of the total emissions from the construction sector in Sweden based on estimates from the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation.
The Nordic Swan Ecolabel requirement – GWP limit at 75% tiles. Limit value: 685 kg CO₂/tonne cement
- Industry standard (at the same clinker content)
- Average emissions: 750 kg CO₂/tonne cement
Difference per tonne of cement
- 750 – 685 = 65 kg CO₂ per tonne
Total savings in Sweden
- 2 800 000 tonnes × 65 kg = 182 000 000 kg CO₂ = 182 000 tonnes CO₂/year
Comparison with passenger cars
- A passenger car emits about 804 kg CO₂/year
- 182,000 tonnes ÷ 0.804 tonnes ≈ 226,368 passenger cars
Sources:
The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation
CEMBUREAU, Carbon Neutrality Roadmap (2020), CEMBUREAU, Activity Report (2018–2022).
WBCSD, 2011. (Science direct)
For more information
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Hamid Ahmadi Advisor +46 (0)8 55 55 24 28 hamid.ahmadi@svanen.se
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