4 May 2026
A significant share of the climate impact from buildings occurs during their use phase, as spaces are repeatedly adapted over time. Despite this, there are currently no established methods for analysing the climate impact of tenant adaptations.
Hållbar Interiör has now, together with Lunds Tekniska Högskola, submitted a project proposal within Impact Innovation. The aim is to develop a method for analysing the climate impact of interior changes over time.
A significant share of the climate impact from buildings occurs during their use phase, as spaces are repeatedly adapted over time. Despite this, there are currently no established methods for analysing the climate impact of tenant adaptations.
Hållbar Interiör has now, together with Lunds Tekniska Högskola, submitted a project proposal within Impact Innovation. The aim is to develop a method for analysing the climate impact of interior changes over time.
Recurring changes with significant impact
Office buildings are continuously adapted to new tenants and changing needs. In these processes, existing interior elements are often replaced, even when they are still fully functional.
When such changes occur repeatedly over time, they generate material flows and emissions that are currently only partially captured in climate assessments.
This means that a significant share of a building’s total climate impact risks being underestimated.
A method for analysing impact over time
The project aims to develop a method for analysing the climate impact of tenant adaptations over time.
By combining climate data for interior building elements with analyses of real buildings with long management histories, the project will show how interior changes influence climate impact during the use phase.
The work is based on the hypothesis that the climate impact of recurring tenant adaptations represents a significant but currently underestimated part of a building’s total climate impact.
– A significant share of a building’s climate impact arises from changes over time, yet it is rarely reflected in current climate assessments. With this project, we aim to develop methods that make this impact possible to understand and act upon, says Kristin Östberg.
From analysis to new ways of working
The project includes both method development and analysis of completed tenant adaptations in existing buildings.
The aim is to generate knowledge about how climate impact develops over time, identify which measures drive emissions, and demonstrate how preservation, extended use and reuse can reduce impact.
The results are intended to support planning and decision-making processes and contribute to integrating interior-related climate impact into early project stages.
Collaboration between research and practice
The project is carried out in collaboration between Indicum and Lunds Tekniska Högskola.
It combines research expertise in life cycle assessment and climate calculations with practical experience of tenant adaptations. A reference group with representatives from the real estate sector, academia and industry organisations supports the project and contributes to ensuring relevance and applicability.
Contributing to the development of climate work
The project addresses a part of the climate impact of buildings that is currently relatively invisible, but significant over time.
As requirements for climate reporting continue to develop, including within European regulatory frameworks, the need for methods that also cover recurring changes during the use phase is increasing.
The project aims to contribute to this development by generating knowledge and methods that can be applied in both research and practice.
Awaiting results
The proposal has now been submitted and we are awaiting the decision. The ambition is that the project will contribute to enabling more actors to work systematically with understanding and reducing the climate impact of tenant adaptations and interior changes.
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