Biodiversity loss, defined as the decline in the variety and abundance of species within ecosystems, is increasingly recognised as a material environmental risk. The construction sector plays a substantial role in this decline, accounting for nearly one-third of global biodiversity loss (WALCC, 2024). As sustainability standards and disclosure expectations evolve, quantifying biodiversity impacts is becoming a necessary component of building life cycle assessments (LCAs).

Biodiversity assessment within LCA

Biodiversity assessment within an LCA evaluates how environmental pressures across a product’s life cycle affect ecosystems and species. Rather than being conducted as a separate study, it forms a focused component within the broader LCA framework, using biodiversity-specific indicators to quantify ecosystem stress. These indicators capture multiple impact categories that influence habitat quality and species survival. In building LCAs, biodiversity-related metrics are typically reported using the ReCiPe 2016 impact assessment method (Mark A. J., 2017).

Key biodiversity-related impact categories commonly reported in building LCAs include:

• Acidification: terrestrial (PDF·m²·yr) – Emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from construction materials manufacturing contribute to soil and water acidification, degrading sensitive terrestrial ecosystems.
• Climate change: freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems (PDF·m³·yr/ PDF·m²·yr) – Greenhouse gas emissions from cement and fuel-intensive processes alter temperatures and precipitation patterns, stressing species adapted to local conditions.
• Ecotoxicity: freshwater, marine, terrestrial (PDF·m³·yr for freshwater / PDF·m²·yr for terrestrial) – Releases of heavy metals and chemicals from upstream manufacturing processes and site activities contaminate ecosystems, reducing species abundance across terrestrial and aquatic environments.
• Eutrophication: freshwater, marine (PDF·m³·yr) – Nutrient runoff from sites and upstream processes depletes oxygen in aquatic systems, harming biodiversity.
• Land use and transformation (PDF·m²·yr) – Land occupation and conversion of forest or grassland for construction result in habitat loss and reductions in species populations.
• Photochemical oxidant formation in terrestrial ecosystems (PDF·m²·yr) – Air pollutants contribute to ground-level ozone, damaging vegetation and reducing plant biodiversity.
• Water use: aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems (PDF·m³·yr or PDF·m²·yr) – Excessive freshwater withdrawal or diversion alters hydrological balance and stresses dependent flora and fauna.

Understanding the metrics

Biodiversity stress indicators in LCA are commonly expressed using the Potentially Disappeared Fraction (PDF) metric. PDF represents the proportion of species potentially lost over a defined area and time period as a result of cumulative environmental pressures. For example, a result of 100 PDF·m²·yr may indicate the equivalent of complete species loss over a 100 m² terrestrial area for one year under the assessed conditions. These results are intended for comparative assessment across design options or products, rather than as direct predictions of observed species loss (Goedkoop et al., 2023).

Conclusion

Assessing biodiversity stress is increasingly recognised as a best-practice element in sustainable construction. Standards and frameworks such as EN 15804+A2, ISO 14044, and SBTN for Nature are progressively elevating biodiversity as a relevant impact category. Integrating biodiversity stress assessment into LCAs enables construction projects to move beyond a narrow focus on carbon and address ecological quality and resilience more holistically.

By embedding biodiversity evaluation within product development, building certification processes, and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), the construction industry can better align environmental performance claims with ecosystem protection and long-term ecological stability.

References

Goedkoop, M., Rossberg, A. G., & Dumont, M. (2023). Bridging the Gap Between Biodiversity Footprint Metrics and Biodiversity State Indicator Metrics. https://www.qmul.ac.uk/sbbs/media/sbbs/research/bsc-project/QMUL-

Mark A. J. (2017). ReCiPe2016: a harmonised life cycle impact assessment method at midpoint and endpoint level. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 22(2), 138–147. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-016-1246-y

WALCC. (2024). Up to one-third of biodiversity loss is due to construction. World Alliance for Low Carbon Cities. https://www.walcc.org/nsdc/up-to-one-third-of-the-biodiversity-loss-is-due-to-construction/