This article reviews the guidelines for the use of 'FutureBuilt ZERO' tool in One Click LCA. The tool enables calculations for building life cycle aligned with FutureBuilt ZERO methodology. The methodology follows dynamic LCA principles and the calculations for future emissions are automatically taken into account in the tool.

Image - FutureBuilt ZERO webpage, 2026.

According to the methodology, the following life cycle stages are included in the assessment of the building's carbon footprint.

The below table specifies the building parts included in the assessment. The table compares ZERO v3.0 and v3.1 and specifies the requirements with maximum allowed emissions (marked with "krav") and elements which must be included in the assessment but do not have maximum emissions (marked with "dok").

After creating the project, the software will ask you to specify the LCA parameters which you would like to use in the calculation. For calculations which are done with FutureBuilt tool, it is recommended to use the following LCA parameters:

You should choose one of the options for ‘NS3720’ based the building type and geographical area as defined in the NS3720:G2 standard.

We are awaiting a specific parameter for FutureBuilt.

Disabled for all EPDs automatically. Used for One Click LCA generic data by default.

The parameter selection does not affect the calculations. FutureBuilt tool uses own End of Life profiles per material type.

Select 'Norway-NS3720' from the drop down menu to get default values for material waste per material type as defined in NS3720:G2. The amount is shown as percentage on Building Material query and can be edited row-by-row if more exact waste amounts are available.

When you have created the first design for your project, you can include data in your design by clicking 'Input data' under the design name. All mandatory parts are marked in red.

From the material query, we calculate results for A1-A3, A4, A5, B1 (biogenic carbon uptake), B4/B5, C2-C3 and D modules. You will find details for inputs on Building Material query and these modules below:

Materials A1-A3

Building materials should be filled with all materials from the components included in the assessment, as well as their quantities, using the resources found in the software database. Depending on the material, the quantity can be added either in volume, area or mass.

Reused material

In this column, the users can define whether the in-going materials are coming from circular sources and calculate the emissions accordingly. By default the assumption is that everything is "new material" and all impacts from the EPDs are calculated as stated in the EPD.

If one is, however, using materials which are originally used in other buildings, are surplus materials or are already in a building (preserving the material from existing building), one can discount the initial A1-A3 emissions by certain percentage (defined in FutureBuilt standard). The alternatives can be found in the dropdown menu and calculations will be then done accordingly.

Additionally, if one is reusing materials from the existing building 'locally reused' checkbox can be checked and this then excludes the A4 emissions for this material.

Transport A4 and C2

To calculate the A4 and C2 impacts, transport distance and transport mode must be defined and these can be specified for 2 different legs (for A4). Emissions from transportation are calculated based on the mass of materials, the distance and the transportation method. For FutureBuilt, there is a specific generic profile: 'Emission factor for transport from an intermediate warehouse, for FutureBuilt ZERO'

Based on the parameter settings, there are default values for each material to calculate A4 emissions during the construction phase which can be edited if there is project specific information available.

C2 waste transport distance is empty by default and user should estimate the distance to the closest/ most likely waste treatment plant to account the associated emissions.

Service Life B4-B5

The software automatically calculates, depending on the service life, how many times the product is changed during the evaluation period. The default service life values come based on parameters and follow the NS320:G2 guidance. The service life is defined on material type level and can be edited if needed.

In FutureBuilt, we use fractional replacement calculation method. This means, for example, a material with a 20-year life span will be replaced for the first time after 20 years, then after 40 years. Since the last replacement, after 40 years, is only 10 years before the end of the analysis period (50 years), only half of the emissions from this replacement are included.

End Of Life C2, C3 and D

End of life can be specified per material in columns Recycled, Reused, Incineration, Landfill. FutureBuilt methodology allows three different scenarios for End of Life calculation:

Landfilling is recorded but not reported in the results.

The default percentages for materials are based on percentages from the guidance for recycled material shares (Tabell M.2). The rest are done based on One Click LCA's own research but these can be edited as necessary.

The calculation for C module includes the assumption that more and more circular practices for waste treatment are expected in the future because of technological development and this is automatically considered in the calculations. Detailed calculation method can be found here.

The material related A5 emissions are calculated based on the Waste percentage on the Building Material Query.

The operational emissions for energy used on the site can be recorded on the construction site operations query. You can either use scenarios or alternatively if you have exact data for construction site operations from construction phase, you can leave the site scenarios section empty and input exact energy consumption 'Site electricity consumption':

In this query, enter the building's annual consumption of electricity, district heating and fuels. For each item, select the profile which corresponds the year when building is taken into use so that the results take into account the future emission reduction in energy production correctly.

If the building produces energy to be delivered outside the building, you can add this questionnaire in section 'Exported Energy'. In this case, use the same dataset as for purchased energy, so that the potential benefits of energy production are calculated using the same emission factor. The exported energy is shown in D-module results and considered a benefit of your building.

In this query, you can account the carbonisation of cementitious materials and vegetation for life cycle module B1 (use stage).

Carbonisation: One Click LCA utilises the simplified method from FutureBuilt to calculate carbonisation of cement.

You can account the carbonisation of cementitious materials by adding data point 'Cement carbonation, 60 years, Futurebuilt scenario, per kg of cement'. Add the amount of cement in the building as your input.

Vegetation

Trees planted to the site can be added but this is not compulsory to the scope of assessing Buildings aligned with FutureBuilt Zero-Bygg scheme.

FutureBuilt methodology applied dynamic LCA and future technological development is considered for material and energy related emissions after the construction phase.

The discounting scenarios apply both time and technological weighing and these must be specified for PV panels and rest of the materials separately. These weighing factors are applied automatically for all materials and energy based on the selections on the discounting scenarios query.

For electricity and district heat - select the year when building starts operating.

Detailed methodology can be found here.

LCA for FutureBuilt ZERO v3.1 tool has mandatory area definition as “Heated Area” and “Number of Users”. In addition to existing results results per m2 and per m2/user will be given.

Calculation period in FutureBuilt should be set to 50 years.

You can view the results of the calculation either by clicking on the 'Results' button at the top of any questionnaire page or on the front page of the project in the data entry drop-down menu for each design.

The results will be presented for global warming potential fossil (GWP-IOBC) and biogenic storage separately. Additionally End of Life related emissions for the fossil is presented separately. Last column gives the total GWP value.

Custom excel report will become available to be downloaded in result page. In the report, it will become then possible to see the project in FutureBuilt ZERO V3.0 and FutureBuilt ZERO V3.1 graphs.