In conversation with Marcel Özer, sustainability expert at EPEA/Drees & Sommer, we explore the practical effects of EU regulations on the day-to-day planning of architecture and planning firms

Green Deal, EU Taxonomy, Clean Industrial Deal, Construction Products Regulation, Circular Economy
As great as the flood of terms and regulations is, it is tempting for many builders, project developers and investors to wait and see for now in view of economic uncertainties. But this will prove to be a fatal mistake: Planners must already prepare CO₂ balance sheets and demonstrate recyclability if they want to participate in public contracts or certified buildings. And the requirements are becoming stricter with every new regulation.

From 2026, the new Construction Products Regulation (CPR) will oblige the first construction product groups to disclose their environmental data — and Europe must be climate-neutral by 2050. Getting there means a fundamental transformation of planning practice. If you don't act now, you risk losing touch.

New roles such as material ecologists or circular engineers are emerging

The days when architects primarily planned based on aesthetic and functional criteria are over. “First there was the issue of energy efficiency, now it is the question of the ecological footprint of the entire building,” explains Marcel Özer. The new complexity is leading to a fundamental change in the planning process:

“We see an unprecedented level of interdisciplinarity in construction projects. New roles such as material ecologists and circular engineers are emerging because a single field of expertise can no longer meet these requirements. For planners, this means that they must not only establish new communication and decision-making channels, but also be able to handle enormous amounts of data. ”

An example from Baden-Württemberg shows how specific the requirements already are: There, state buildings must include a CO₂ shadow price in the planning — i.e. a monetary value that represents the subsequent CO₂ costs. If this is too high, funding decreases. “This initially results in purely economic action, but is highly effective,” says Özer. “It directly links financial decisions to sustainability goals. ”

CO₂ footprint: From freestyle to obligation

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is no longer a niche topic. “Today, we no longer recommend that customers carry out a project without a life cycle assessment,” emphasizes Özer. “In view of regulatory obligations, this would simply be negligent. ”

The reasons are obvious: CO2 is now used as an evaluation indicator in almost all relevant regulations:

• In the EU taxonomy as an evaluation criterion for “green” investments
• As a mandatory information for manufacturers in the Construction Products Ordinance
• In the Energy Performance Building Directive (EPBD), which requires a life cycle assessment for the entire building in future
• In certification systems such as DGNB, BREEAM or LEED
• In country-specific requirements, such as the mentioned CO₂ shadow price

“CO2 is now more than just a sustainability indicator — it has become a real valuation and economic indicator,” explains Özer.

The data revolution: Who has information sovereignty?

There is a key challenge for planning offices: Where does the necessary data for all these assessments come from? So far, the data situation has been inconsistent — but that is currently changing fundamentally.

“From 2026, the new Construction Products Ordinance will oblige particularly relevant construction products to disclose their environmental data,” explains Özer. “It starts with materials that are used in large quantities and have significant environmental impacts — such as concrete, cement and other products with a high CO₂ footprint. ”

For the first time, this creates a real market mechanism for sustainable products: “When all manufacturers have to disclose their data, competition ensues. Whoever has the best scores is preferred on the market — a sign of quality that can make the difference between success or failure. ”

For planning offices, this means that they need systems that can manage this flood of data. “It is a fundamental change: Instead of planning with generic averages, architects can now compare and use real products with exact environmental data — right from the initial planning phase. ”

From life cycle assessment to recyclability

The next stage of evolution is just around the corner: the assessment of the recyclability of buildings. “Circular Economy will be successful in practice if the topic is both challenged and promoted,” says Özer with conviction. “The regulatory requirements will come, but at the same time, we can already see today that circular construction offers economic benefits. ”

A practical example: “In a project in Viersen, a building resource pass was created and the raw material value of the building was accounted for. According to the Commercial Code, products that have a residual value may be accounted for at this value. This reduces the annual depreciation so much that the city was able to recoup the additional investments many times over in the beginning. ”

Industry is also responding: “Schüco is actively taking back aluminum facades, and Heidelberg Materials has already reserved buildings for subsequent dismantling in order to establish a potential source of secondary raw materials. This shows that circular construction is not a fairy tale of the future, but is already an economic reality. ”

CO₂-Hotspots visualized in the BIM model

“Without digital tools, we can no longer cope with these data requirements,” Özer clarifies. This is where solutions such as cockpit.planner from DIE WERKBANK IT, which links the EPEA database with material and product information and integrates it directly into CAD systems.

“In a pilot project in Düsseldorf, we visualized CO₂ hotspots directly in the BIM model for the first time,” reports Özer. “Where red areas appeared, we were able to optimize them together with structural planning. A solid steel beam was thus replaced by an alternative solution, which represents an enormous lever for CO₂ reduction. ”

This methodology makes it possible to integrate sustainability assessments into the planning process right from the start: “The client not only sees abstract CO₂ values, but also specifically in the model: Red means a need for optimization. This creates transparency, understanding and opportunities for action. ”

‍

Conclusion: Seeing transformation as an opportunity

Despite all challenges, EU regulations offer enormous opportunities for future-oriented builders as well as planning offices. “Anyone who waits today will be left behind tomorrow,” summarizes Özer. “But anyone who acts now can position themselves as experts in sustainable construction and planning and open up new market opportunities. ”

His recommendation: “Build up expertise, invest in digital tools and establish interdisciplinary collaboration. The biggest misconception about the Green Deal is that it is just an additional bureaucratic effort — in reality, it is an innovation engine for the entire industry. ”

He remains optimistic about the future: “Circular Economy will only succeed when the benefits become visible. It is not about doing without, but about doing business more intelligently and sustainably. Some pioneers have already recognized this — and they will be the winners of this transformation. ”