An important objective of sustainable construction is to keep CO₂ emissions as low as possible over the entire life cycle of a building. When constructing a new build – or refurbishing an older one – it is important to use only materials with the lowest possible emissions. The type of heating system and electricity consumption are other major contributors to the carbon footprint during the period when the building is in use.
For instance, a building supplied with gas heating may have a higher carbon footprint than one powered by an electric heat pump.