UPB Group cuts embodied carbon by 25% in precast concrete with One Click LCA

UPB Group is one of the largest industrial groups in the Baltic countries, providing engineering, construction, energy & machinery services, and specializes in the production of glazed, steel and precast building structures, design & build projects, and energy and machinery solutions. Over the past decade, the company has dedicated substantial resources to enhance the sustainability of its operations, production, and construction practices. By leveraging One Click LCA, UBP translated environmental product declaration (EPD) data into real-world carbon reductions — achieving 25% improvement in environmental performance for its reinforced concrete products. This case study explores how data-driven decision-making helped UBP minimize it's carbon footprint and maximize sustainability for a more greener future.

UPB Group cuts embodied carbon by 25% in precast concrete with One Click LCA

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How UPB Group uses EPDs to track sustainable progress and improve client collaboration

There are projects we wouldn’t even be considered for without EPDs. Investing in this documentation is essential to stay competitive, especially in Nordic countries and Western Europe, where clients expect verified EPDs for our products and often use the EPDs in their BREEAM and LEED certification schemes.

— Ernests Ozoliņš, Product Manager, Precast Concrete at UPB Group

UPB Group is one of the leading industrial holdings in the Baltic States, specializing in integrated design-and-build solutions for both the Latvian and international markets. With over 30 years of experience and a team of more than 2,000 employees, UPB Group comprises over 20 companies covering diverse business areas, including design and engineering, construction, technical services, energy, and machinery, as well as the production of glass, steel, and concrete structures.

UPB's path to carbon neutrality

UPB Group began its journey to carbon neutrality in 2015 by creating its first environmental product declarations (EPDs). Since then, UPB has steadily reduced emissions across operations, starting with utilizing green energy in its production in 2017, minimizing steel waste through implementing a steel mesh welding machine in 2018 and restructuring its concrete research center in 2019.

In 2020, UPB began using One Click LCA to create in-house EPDs, allowing the team to better understand and analyze the carbon footprint of their products. This led to significantly better results.

— Ernests Ozoliņš, Product Manager, Precast Concrete at UPB Group

By using One Click LCA Pre-verified EPD Generator to evaluate each stage of the product life cycle — from raw material sourcing and manufacturing to logistics, construction, and end-of-life impact, UPB was able to identify and implement improvements early in product development, leading to enhanced environmental performance across its offerings.

A simple guide to EPD: Learn what are environmental product declarations and how do they benefit manufacturers.

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Measuring sustainability improvements with EPDs

In 2023, UPB published EPDs showing that its range of precast concrete products achieved a 25% reduction in embodied carbon when compared to its 2021 figures. This improvement was driven by several factors: sourcing local raw materials from responsible suppliers, optimizing concrete mixes with more sustainable materials, and implementing a concrete and wastewater recycling system.

UPB Precast concrete hollow core slabs EPD generated using One Click LCA

UPB Ready Mixed Concrete EPD generated using One Click LCA

UPB Glass fibre reinforced concrete EPD generated using One Click LCA

UPB Precast concrete filigree slabs EPD generated using One Click LCA

UPB steel structures EPD generated using One Click LCA

From 2015 to 2020, UPB updated its EPDs once every five years. Since 2020, however, the cycle has been shortened to once every three years to better capture and reflect its progress in decarbonization efforts. Looking ahead, UPB anticipates even shorter intervals between updates as the group achieves more measurable progress through its net-zero strategy, which focuses on minimizing waste, maximizing efficiency, and optimizing material use, particularly in concrete.

Hylliee Terrass: A climate-neutral office building in Malmö, Sweden

One of UPB Group’s most sustainable projects, Hyllie Terrass, is a climate-neutral office building in Malmö, Sweden. The project was part of the Sweden Green Building Council's NollCO2 certification pilot. The building spans twelve floors high with a total area of 14,000 m². UPB experts collaborated with SKANSKA from the early stages, leveraging EPDs through One Click LCA to evaluate and optimize materials and strategies for concrete and steel structures to meet strict carbon targets. This analysis enabled UPB to propose and implement targeted improvements in design, manufacturing, and logistics, achieving a 33% reduction in embodied carbon for concrete and a 53% reduction for steel structures.

6600 ^m2

of three-layer sandwich walls with already pre-installed windows façade delivered — leaving a smaller imprint, and becoming one of the first NollCO2 certified building in Sweden

In addition to NollCO2 certification, Hyllie Terrass is also on track to achieve LEED and WELL certifications, highlighting UPB's commitment to comprehensive sustainability in building design and construction. Construction began in 2020, with the building inaugurated in 2023.