Building Climate Report and Construction Product List

What does the new Building Act require from construction projects?

The new Building Act entered into force on 1 January 2025, introducing significant changes to sustainability requirements in the construction sector. Starting in 2026, many new construction projects will be required to include a statutory building climate report and a construction product list as part of the building permit process.

In practice, this means that the carbon footprint and carbon handprint of construction projects must be calculated in a climate report, and the building materials and products used must be listed in a construction product list.

Product Information Carbon Calculator

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With the Product Information Carbon Calculator, you can ensure that your construction project meets the legal low-carbon requirements as efficiently as possible and without heavy manual data collection. The service enables you to calculate the building’s life-cycle carbon footprint and carbon handprint, as well as prepare the statutory construction product list.

What is a building climate report?

A climate report is a document that describes the environmental impacts of a construction project, i.e., its carbon footprint and carbon handprint. Carbon footprint refers to the greenhouse gas emissions generated over the building’s life cycle, while carbon handprint refers to emissions avoided or reduced through the building.

The purpose of the climate report is to highlight the environmental impacts of a construction project and encourage construction industry stakeholders to make low-carbon choices. The carbon footprint and carbon handprint cover the entire life cycle of the building, from raw material extraction to demolition and recycling.

When preparing a climate report, the Ministry of the Environment’s decree on the climate report and construction product list (1027/2024) is followed. This decree defines the calculation methods used.

Limit values for a building’s carbon footprint will enter into force on 1 January 2026.

What is a construction product list?

A construction product list is a list of all products and materials permanently installed in a building. It is an essential part of the building permit process for certain new construction projects in Finland, especially residential buildings larger than semi-detached houses and certain other building types under the new Building Act.

The purpose of the construction product list is:

• Collection of material data: It provides a comprehensive overview of the materials used in the building.
• Environmental impact assessment: It is an important part of calculating the building’s carbon footprint and handprint, as different materials have different emission data.
• Building supervision: It is submitted to building control authorities as part of the building permit application.
• Basis for a material declaration: It often serves as the basis for a material declaration, which provides more detailed information on material properties and origins.

What information must the construction product list include?

The statutory minimum requirements are:

• Product or material name
• Quantity
• Unit of quantity (e.g. pcs, m², m³; “batch” is not allowed)
• Location (whether part of the building or the construction site)

Optional but useful information includes:

• Manufacturer
• Identification data (e.g. GTIN or supplier product code)
• More precise location (e.g. by apartment or building element)
• Share of recycled material (as a percentage by weight)

The construction product list is therefore a key document that enables understanding and reporting of material flows and their environmental impacts, supporting transparency and sustainable construction.

Who are the climate report and construction product list mandatory for?

The climate report becomes mandatory for certain new construction projects submitted for permitting on or after 1 January 2026, including:

• Row houses
• Apartment buildings
• Office buildings and health centres
• Commercial buildings (department stores, shopping centres, theatres, museums, etc.)
• Accommodation buildings (hotels, care homes, nursing homes, etc.)
• Educational buildings and daycare centres
• Sports halls
• Hospitals
• Storage, transport buildings, swimming halls and ice halls over 1,000 m² heated net floor area

Climate reports and construction product lists are not required for detached houses, holiday homes, or agricultural buildings. Renovation, alteration, or extension projects are also excluded.

When must they be prepared?

The construction product list must be prepared before the building permit stage and submitted with the permit application. The climate report is submitted to building control authorities at the commissioning stage, although it is recommended to prepare it already during the design phase to ensure compliance with carbon limit values.