Construction of new buildings

✓ Climate mitigation

Constructions of new buildings for which:1. The Primary Energy Demand (PED)(343), defining the energy performance of the building resulting from the construction, is at least 10 % lower than the threshold set for the nearly zero-energy building (NZEB) requirements in national measures implementing Directive 2010/31/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council(344). The energy performance is certified using an as built Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).2. For buildings larger than 5000 m2 (345), upon completion, the building resulting from the construction undergoes testing for air-tightness and thermal integrity(346), and any deviation in the levels of performance set at the design stage or defects in the building envelope are disclosed to investors and clients. As an alternative; where robust and traceable quality control processes are in place during the construction process this is acceptable as an alternative to thermal integrity testing.3. For buildings larger than 5000 m2 (347), the life-cycle Global Warming Potential (GWP)(348) of the building resulting from the construction has been calculated for each stage in the life cycle and is disclosed to investors and clients on demand.

✓ Circular economy

1. All generated construction and demolition waste is treated in accordance with Union waste legislation and with the full checklist of the EU Construction and Demolition Waste Management Protocol, in particular by setting sorting systems and pre-demolition audits(73). The preparing for re-use(74) or recycling(75) of the non-hazardous construction and demolition waste generated on the construction site is at least 90% (by mass in kilogrammes), excluding backfilling(76). This excludes naturally occurring material referred to in category 17 05 04 in the European List of Waste established by Decision 2000/532/EC. The operator of the activity demonstrates compliance with the 90% threshold by reporting on the Level(s) indicator 2.2(77) using the Level 2 reporting format for different waste streams.2. The life-cycle Global Warming Potential (GWP) of the building resulting from the construction has been calculated for each stage in the life cycle and is disclosed to investors and clients on demand(78).3. Construction designs and techniques support circularity via the incorporation of concepts for design for adaptability and deconstruction as outlined in Level(s) indicators 2.3 and 2.4 respectively. Compliance with this requirement is demonstrated by reporting on the Level(s) indicators 2.3(79) and 2.4(80) at Level 2.4. The use of primary raw material in the construction of the building is minimised through the use of secondary raw materials(81). The operator of the activity ensures that the three heaviest material categories used to construct the building, measured by mass in kilogrammes, comply with the following maximum total amounts of primary raw material used:for the combined total of concrete(82), natural or agglomerated stone, a maximum of 70% of the material come from primary raw material;for the combined total of brick, tile, ceramic, a maximum of 70% of the material come from primary raw material;for bio-based materials(83), a maximum of 80% of the total material come from primary raw material;for the combined total of glass, mineral insulation, a maximum of 70% of the total material come from primary raw material;for non-biobased plastic, a maximum of 50% of the total material come from primary raw material;for metals, a maximum of 30% of the total material come from primary raw material;for gypsum, a maximum of 65% of the material come from primary raw material.The thresholds are calculated by subtracting the secondary raw material from the total amount of each material category used in the works measured by mass in kilogrammes. Where the information on the recycled content of a construction product is not available, it is to be counted as comprising 100% primary raw material. In order to respect the Waste Hierarchy and thereby favour re-use over recycling, re-used construction products, including those containing non-waste materials reprocessed on site, are to be counted as comprising zero primary raw material. Compliance with this criterion is demonstrated by reporting in accordance with the Level(s) indicator 2.1(84).5. The operator of the activity uses electronic tools to describe the characteristics of the building as built, including the materials and components used, for the purpose of future maintenance, recovery, and reuse, for example using EN ISO 22057:2022 to provide Environmental Product Declarations(85). The information is stored in a digital format and is made available to investors and clients on demand. In addition, the operator ensures the long-term preservation of this information beyond the useful life of the building by using the information managing systems provided by national tools, such as cadastre or public register.

✓ Climate adaptation

1. The economic activity has implemented physical and non-physical solutions (‘adaptation solutions’) that substantially reduce the most important physical climate risks that are material to that activity.2. The physical climate risks that are material to the activity have been identified from those listed in Appendix A of the applicable Delegated Act by performing a robust climate risk and vulnerability assessment with the following steps:screening of the activity to identify which physical climate risks from the list in Appendix A of the applicable Delegated Act may affect the performance of the economic activity during its expected lifetime;where the activity is assessed to be at risk from one or more of the physical climate risks listed in Appendix A of the applicable Delegated Act, a climate risk and vulnerability assessment to assess the materiality of the physical climate risks on the economic activity;an assessment of adaptation solutions that can reduce the identified physical climate risk.The climate risk and vulnerability assessment is proportionate to the scale of the activity and its expected lifespan, such that: for activities with an expected lifespan of less than 10 years, the assessment is performed, at least by using climate projections at the smallest appropriate scale;for all other activities, the assessment is performed using the highest available resolution, state-of-the-art climate projections across the existing range of future scenarios(611) consistent with the expected lifetime of the activity, including, at least, 10 to 30 year climate projections scenarios for major investments. 3. The climate projections and assessment of impacts are based on best practice and available guidance and take into account the state-of-the-art science for vulnerability and risk analysis and related methodologies in line with the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports(612), scientific peer-reviewed publications and open source(613) or paying models.4. The adaptation solutions implemented:do not adversely affect the adaptation efforts or the level of resilience to physical climate risks of other people, of nature, of cultural heritage, of assets and of other economic activities;favour nature-based solutions(614) or rely on blue or green infrastructure(615) to the extent possible;are consistent with local, sectoral, regional or national adaptation plans and strategies;are monitored and measured against pre-defined indicators and remedial action is considered where those indicators are not met;where the solution implemented is physical and consists in an activity for which technical screening criteria have been specified in this Annex, the solution complies with the do no significant harm technical screening criteria for that activity.