Climate Impact of City Districts - a case study in Helsingborg

Abstract

EU aims to achieve climate neutrality in 2050, 23 cities in Sweden aim to reach that goal already by 2030. A new city district in Helsingborg - southern Sweden - is being developed with the goal of achieving near net-zero carbon emissions. This study evaluates the first completed phase and aims to draw learning outcomes to lower carbon emissions for the remaining upcoming development phases.

The field of building LCA software and workflows has seen a lot of research in recent years. These studies show that the landscape of LCA software mainly consists of software applicable in the later design stages of the design process when decisions on building and construction properties are already made. This highlights the need for simplified, accessible alternatives like the one explored in this study so that LCA can be an influential factor in making early environmentally conscious design decisions. Therefore, this study uses an urban modelling approach, using public urban development plans, to create 3D building models and quantify global warming potential over a 50-year life cycle. The software used for the LCA analysis is LCAnt, a Grasshopper plugin that, in cooperation with Byggsektorns Miljöberäkningsplattform’s (BM) database and Boverkets Klimatdatabas, allows real-time performance feedback on a building’s (or district’s) climate impact.

Results for the embodied carbon emissions (ECE) of seven buildings, including five multi-dwelling blocks, one hotel and one office building, show that the average global warming potential for the product and construction stage (A1 to A5) was 360 kg CO₂e/m² gross floor area. This is 8% and 5% higher than the national average and median, respectively (avg. 334 kg CO₂e/m², mdn. 342 kg CO₂e/m²). The operational carbon emissions (OCE) across all seven buildings amount to 10 111 971 kg CO₂e (avg. 160 kg CO₂e/m²), reflecting energy use (stage B6) over a 50-year reference study period. The mode interval of operational impact is concentrated in the 150–160 kg CO₂e/m² range, with the median value being 158 kg CO₂e/m².

Combining embodied and operational emissions, the total climate impact reaches 31 651 598 kg CO₂e. Embodied carbon contributes 69% of this total, while operational emissions from district heating and electricity account for 27% and 4%, respectively. This confirms that embodied emissions dominate the carbon profile, making decisions in early design stages regarding material and structure critical to reducing carbon emissions of the construction sector and meeting emission targets in the future. Total climate impact is most concentrated in the 500–520 kg CO₂e/m² interval. Notably, both the average value, calculated at 518 kg CO₂e/m² and the median value of 511 kg CO₂e/m² fall just outside this interval.

Despite ambitions to develop Oceanhamnen in line with climate neutrality goals, current performance remains well above net-zero carbon. The heavy reliance on conventional materials such as reinforced concrete, reveals a significant gap between the district’s actual impact and its net-zero aspirations. These results emphasize the urgent need for continued innovation in low-carbon design and the adoption of alternative construction materials to ensure that this and similar developments can meet Sweden’s 2030 targets and the EU’s broader 2050 climate neutrality objective. The applied workflow demonstrates strong potential for replication in early urban planning design stages, offering quick configuration and sufficient accuracy to support science-based design decisions, though its reliance on simplified assumptions highlights the need for careful interpretation of results.

Popular Abstract

EU aims to achieve climate neutrality in 2050, 23 cities in Sweden aim to reach that goal already by 2030. A new city district in Helsingborg - southern Sweden - is being developed with the goal of achieving near net-zero carbon emissions. This study evaluates the first completed phase and aims to draw learning outcomes to lower carbon emissions for the remaining upcoming development phases.

The field of building LCA software and workflows has seen a lot of research in recent years. These studies show that the landscape of LCA software mainly consists of software applicable in the later design stages of the design process when decisions on building and construction properties are already made. This highlights the need for simplified, accessible alternatives like the one explored in this study so that LCA can be an influential factor in making early environmentally conscious design decisions. Therefore, this study uses an urban modelling approach, using public urban development plans, to create 3D building models and quantify global warming potential over a 50-year life cycle. The software used for the LCA analysis is LCAnt, a Grasshopper plugin that, in cooperation with Byggsektorns Miljöberäkningsplattform’s (BM) database and Boverkets Klimatdatabas, allows real-time performance feedback on a building’s (or district’s) climate impact.

Results for the embodied carbon emissions (ECE) of seven buildings, including five multi-dwelling blocks, one hotel and one office building, show that the average global warming potential for the product and construction stage (A1 to A5) was 360 kg CO₂e/m² gross floor area. This is 8% and 5% higher than the national average and median, respectively (avg. 334 kg CO₂e/m², mdn. 342 kg CO₂e/m²). The operational carbon emissions (OCE) across all seven buildings amount to 10 111 971 kg CO₂e (avg. 160 kg CO₂e/m²), reflecting energy use (stage B6) over a 50-year reference study period. The mode interval of operational impact is concentrated in the 150–160 kg CO₂e/m² range, with the median value being 158 kg CO₂e/m².

Combining embodied and operational emissions, the total climate impact reaches 31 651 598 kg CO₂e. Embodied carbon contributes 69% of this total, while operational emissions from district heating and electricity account for 27% and 4%, respectively. This confirms that embodied emissions dominate the carbon profile, making decisions in early design stages regarding material and structure critical to reducing carbon emissions of the construction sector and meeting emission targets in the future. Total climate impact is most concentrated in the 500–520 kg CO₂e/m² interval. Notably, both the average value, calculated at 518 kg CO₂e/m² and the median value of 511 kg CO₂e/m² fall just outside this interval.

Despite ambitions to develop Oceanhamnen in line with climate neutrality goals, current performance remains well above net-zero carbon. The heavy reliance on conventional materials such as reinforced concrete, reveals a significant gap between the district’s actual impact and its net-zero aspirations. These results emphasize the urgent need for continued innovation in low-carbon design and the adoption of alternative construction materials to ensure that this and similar developments can meet Sweden’s 2030 targets and the EU’s broader 2050 climate neutrality objective. The applied workflow demonstrates strong potential for replication in early urban planning design stages, offering quick configuration and sufficient accuracy to support science-based design decisions, though its reliance on simplified assumptions highlights the need for careful interpretation of results.

• author: Wolters, Jorik Lucas
• supervisor: Ricardo Bernardo; Maryam Fakhari; Jouri Kanters
• organization: Division of Energy and Building Design
• course: AEBM01 20251
• year: 2025
• type: H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
• subject: Technology and Engineering
• keywords: Carbon Emissions of City Districts, Global Warming Potential, Life Cycle Assessment, Early Design LCA, Energy Efficient Buildings
• language: English
• id: 9200324
• date added to LUP: 2025-06-16 13:35:32
• date last changed: 2025-06-16 13:35:32