sv
Background: how Sweden got here
The EU’s Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) requires all member states to introduce limits on the climate impact of a new building throughout its life cycle. In Sweden, Boverket has been tasked by the government with developing a specific proposal, which has now been submitted to the government for further consideration.
The timetable is as follows: from 1 January 2028, the entire life cycle must be reported for buildings larger than 1,000 m², and from 1 January 2030, limit values will apply to other buildings. The legislation is anchored in the Planning and Building Act.
This is therefore a legal requirement on its way into Swedish law, rather than a wish for the future.
Boverket’s timetable
Boverket’s proposal: differentiated limits, but how ambitious?
In May 2026, Boverket submitted its proposal to the government and parliament. The proposed limits differ by building type, ranging from apartment buildings (235 kg CO₂eq/m² gross floor area, BTA) to swimming pools (455 kg CO₂eq/m² BTA).
The investigation analysed three alternative levels of ambition. Boverket recommends the middle level, but the decisive question is which level the government and parliament ultimately choose. That choice determines how much the industry actually needs to change.
Questions also remain about who should bear the cost of the transition and how to handle buildings where climate requirements are structurally difficult to meet, such as shelters with thick concrete walls or swimming pools with large steel basins.
Boverket’s proposal (PDF)
Sweden: Reduction Roadmap is pushing ahead
Alongside the political process, the industry initiative Reduction Roadmap Sverige advocates national limits aligned with the Paris Agreement. Developed by Wingårdhs, Krook & Tjäder and Chalmers, it demonstrates that industry organisations have clear ambitions and climate targets that go further than Boverket’s proposal. More than 150 construction industry organisations now support its campaign for national limits that halve construction emissions by 2030.
Swedish Reduction Roadmap
Denmark: the initiative that changed the legislation
Sweden is not alone on this journey. Since 2022, the Danish Reduction Roadmap has brought together more than 630 organisations and helped persuade the Danish government to tighten its national limits on buildings’ climate impact. The Swedish Reduction Roadmap draws on that experience.
Denmark is now going a step further with the report Beyond the Roadmap, which questions whether reducing harm is enough when we are already in ecological overshoot. The report presents a framework for the industry to become net positive, rather than merely net neutral.
Danish Reduction Roadmap
Plant’s seminar in Almedalen on 24 June
On Wednesday 24 June, 16.00–16.45, Plant is holding a seminar in Almedalen to discuss the issue with those who make the decisions and bear responsibility for the transition.
MPs David Josefsson (M), Rickard Nordin (C) and Joakim Järrebring (S) will join sustainability directors Anna Denell (Vasakronan), Sara Gorton (Skanska) and Maria Perzon (Castellum). The discussion will also include perspectives from building material manufacturers and smaller industry organisations.
The discussion will take a dynamic format, with participants sitting in a circle and the audience standing around them. Pelle Tunell, CEO of Plant, will moderate and invite the audience to contribute their perspectives.
Time: Wednesday 24 June, 16.00–16.45
Venue: Gotlands Museum, entrance from Mellangatan 19, SVN’s stage – Sävesalen
Read more about Plant’s seminar in Almedalen
Frequently asked questions
What is life-cycle GWP?
GWP stands for Global Warming Potential, a measure of a building’s contribution to climate impact over its entire life cycle, from extracting raw materials and producing building materials to demolition and waste management. Life-cycle GWP is the measure on which Boverket’s limit values are based.
What is a climate declaration?
A climate declaration reports a building’s climate impact during construction. It has been mandatory for most new buildings in Sweden since 2022. Boverket’s proposal would extend the declaration to cover the entire life cycle.
What happens next with Boverket’s proposal?
Boverket has submitted its proposal to the government. The next step is for the government to prepare the proposal and pass it to parliament for a decision. This is the stage at which the level of ambition, and how stringent the limits will actually be, is finally determined.
What is Plant doing on this issue?
Plant develops user-friendly climate calculation software that helps the construction industry understand and reduce buildings’ climate impact. We also support customers with climate calculations, advice and strategic work on climate requirements and certifications. Limit values are central to this work, and we follow developments closely.