Inventory is not a burden.
It is an investment already paid.
Inventory is not a burden.
It is an investment already paid.
Dominik Hartmann
Michael Haugeneder
Over 37% of global CO₂ emissions are attributable to the construction industry. Those who fail to properly assess existing buildings make the wrong decisions – and pay for them economically. ATP sustain has therefore developed a method that re-evaluates existing buildings: not as a liability, but as a strategic lever for cost, carbon and long-term resilience.
Imagine that you own an office building from the 1980s. The energy certificate is poor, and the energy consultant recommends demolition. New building, low energy, EU Taxonomy compliant – everything done right.
But is that really true?
What is missing from this calculation: The old building had already been built. Every ton of concrete, every brick, every steel column released CO₂ during its production. This effort is irreversibly embedded in the substance. Demolition means losing it – and the new building immediately releases new emissions that affect the climate even before the first tenant moves in. Nothing can be changed about this physical reality.
Against this background, the energy performance certificate must be reconsidered, as it only reflects the projected operational energy demand – but not the CO₂ already embedded in the material. As a result, existing buildings, when considered holistically, are structurally assessed more negatively than they actually are. In addition, new construction appears at first glance to be clearly the more rational alternative – although this is often not the case.
Through an accounting-based consideration of this reality, these different scenarios can be fairly evaluated on both an economic and ecological basis.
We work with a simplified model of reality and make decisions on this basis whose real-world impacts unfold over the long term.
Dominik Hartmann
Energy and Sustainability Expert, ATP sustain
An existing building from 1980 has already amortized 88% of its accounting-based CO₂ backpack. A new building starts at zero – and must depreciate this again over its service life. If the existing building is demolished, its remaining CO₂ is transferred to the new building from an accounting perspective.
The Decision Is Made Before Design
The misconception that runs through many construction projects is one of timing: The course is set before an architect draws the first line – and yet the actual analysis usually only begins afterward. Variants are developed, expert reports obtained, and scenarios calculated. Only then do we ask ourselves whether we have asked the right questions.
The decisive course is set before the planning phase. However, this is precisely where a reliable basis for comparison is often lacking.
Michael Haugeneder
Managing Director, ATP sustain, part of the ATP Group
A New Instrument For The Right Question
The Life Cycle Value Index (LZWi) was developed precisely to close this gap – initiated by ÖGNI as a new industry-wide assessment tool. ATP sustain led this development and now applies it in concrete consulting mandates.
The approach connects what was previously assessed separately: operating energy consumption and the emissions already embedded in the building substance. Both are distributed across the entire building life cycle. This creates a consistent, comparable basis for assessment – for existing buildings, refurbishment, replacement buildings, and new buildings.
The LZWi makes visible what previously remained invisible. Not to prevent demolition in principle – but to ensure that the decision is made on a complete basis.
What This Means for Building Owners
The practical consequence is a shift in the central question. It is no longer only about which solution will be optimal in the future.
It is about which solution makes economic and ecological sense within the context of what already exists.
That may sound like a nuance. In reality, it is a fundamental difference. It can determine millions of euros and thousands of tonnes of CO₂.
A building that already exists is not a burden. It is an investment that has already been made. The question is whether that investment will be used.
The Life Cycle Value Index shows: Those who assess buildings holistically make better decisions – for existing buildings, renovations, and new construction. Would you like to know what this means for your projects?
About ATP sustain
ATP sustain is a consulting and specialist planning firm for sustainable building and building physics, with offices in Munich and Vienna. As part of the ATP Group, it supports real estate projects throughout their entire lifecycle, translating ESG goals (Environmental, Social, Governance) into economically viable and future-proof solutions.
