Placepoint

Klimagassregnskap (greenhouse gas accounting, NS 3720)

Greenhouse gas accounting under NS 3720 is a Norwegian standard for calculating a building's total greenhouse gas emissions across its whole life cycle, from material production and construction through operation to demolition and waste handling. The standard is the core of Norwegian carbon accounting for buildings and is used as documentation for BREEAM certification, taxonomy reporting, green loan applications and requirements from tenants and investors with their own climate targets.

The accounts are split into four phases following the European LCA standards (EN 15978): the product phase (A1-A3, materials), the construction phase (A4-A5, transport and building work), the use phase (B1-B7, operation and maintenance) and the end-of-life phase (C1-C4, demolition and waste). NS 3720 specifies which emission factors apply to Norwegian conditions (for example the Norwegian electricity mix and local district heating networks) and which material data is valid. The result is reported in kg CO₂ equivalents per square metre per year, typically summed over an analysis period of 50 or 60 years.

The calculation needs detailed material data for the building. For new builds, data availability is good: suppliers provide EPDs (Environmental Product Declarations) per building component and the design team collects these in a BIM-based carbon account. For existing buildings, data availability is much weaker: older drawings give only a rough quantity description and physical observations have to fill the rest. Specialist consultants (Asplan Viak, Multiconsult, Norconsult, COWI) deliver this service and typically price it at 100,000-400,000 kr for a standard commercial building, depending on complexity and data availability.

For Norwegian institutional owners, greenhouse gas accounting is driven mainly by three use cases. First, the taxonomy: new buildings must fall below defined emission thresholds (as of 2026, typically 15% below the national reference value) to be classified as substantially contributing to the climate objective. Second, BREEAM certification: the Mat 01 category in BREEAM In-Use requires a complete greenhouse gas account as documentation for scoring. Third, green loans: Norwegian banks often require an NS 3720 account as a condition for green loan labelling and a reduced margin.

The insurance industry is also starting to use greenhouse gas accounting as an indicator of how future-proof a building is. A building with a low emissions footprint in the use phase (well insulated, energy efficient, district heating) has less exposure to coming carbon charges on heating sources and a lower risk of becoming a stranded asset. Fund managers use the figure in their portfolio reporting and as a filter when they allocate capital between existing buildings and new build projects.

In Placepoint you can compare building age, building category and location with the current energy infrastructure when you plan or read a greenhouse gas account for an existing building. Report: ESG and sustainability is clear that greenhouse gas accounting is not among the things it covers: that requires measured consumption, not register data.

How it looks in Placepoint

In Placepoint you find this in Report: ESG and sustainability:

Klimagassregnskap (NS 3720) in Placepoint

From Placepoint's glossary: Klimagassregnskap (NS 3720)

More information: Standard Norge: NS 3720, DiBK: TEK17 section 17-1 Klimagassregnskap fra materialer, Norsk Eiendom: Klimaregnskap

English: Greenhouse gas accounting, GHG accounting per NS 3720; building life-cycle assessment (LCA).

Common questions we come across

When do you need a greenhouse gas account?

For taxonomy reporting on new builds, for BREEAM certification, when applying for green loans, and when tenants or investors require it as documentation for their own climate targets. In the coming years, central public clients are also expected to require accounts for all new builds as a tender condition.

Which phases does NS 3720 cover?

Four LCA phases: the product phase (A1-A3, materials), the construction phase (A4-A5, transport and installation), the use phase (B1-B7, operation and maintenance over 50-60 years) and the end-of-life phase (C1-C4, demolition and waste). The standard specifies Norwegian emission factors for each phase.

What does a greenhouse gas account cost?

For new builds, the account is usually produced as part of the design phase, using EPD data from suppliers. For existing commercial buildings, the cost is 100,000-400,000 kr with specialist consultants, depending on complexity and data availability.

What is the difference between a greenhouse gas account and the energy label?

The energy label measures the building's energy use in operation (one phase, B6). Greenhouse gas accounting under NS 3720 covers the whole life cycle, including materials, construction, maintenance and demolition. A building can have a good energy label but a high carbon footprint if it was built with carbon-heavy materials (a lot of concrete and steel).