Whole life carbon assessment of Czech building typologies: analysis of 170 representative case studies towards the definition of national benchmarks

As the European Union intensifies efforts to decarbonise the built environment, attention is increasingly turning from operational emissions to whole life carbon (WLC) assessment. In the Czech Republic, the absence of benchmarks has hindered the integration of WLC into regulatory and design practices. This study presents a comprehensive WLC assessment of 170 building case studies, aiming to identify emission patterns and establish preliminary national benchmarks tailored to the Czech context. The assessment follows a previously developed harmonised Czech WLC workflow and applies it here to a substantially expanded multi-typology dataset. Using the EN 15978 and Level(s) frameworks, the study applied a cradle-to-cradle approach to quantify Global Warming Potential (GWP) across various building types and project phases (new construction, renovation, secondary-sourced). The results highlight significant typological differences: newly constructed detached houses showed the highest average WLC (37.6 kgCO₂e/m²a), while warehouses consistently exhibited the lowest (21.7 kgCO₂e/m²a). Renovated office buildings had the lowest emissions overall (23.7 kgCO₂e/m²a), emphasizing the decarbonisation potential of reuse strategies. Embodied GWP dominated total emissions in low-energy buildings, contributing 12–22 kgCO₂e/m²a, while operational emissions drove WLC in service-intensive typologies such as office buildings. Structural systems, especially concrete and masonry, were key contributors to higher impacts, whereas timber-based buildings showed better performance. These findings provide a robust basis for developing Czech typology-specific WLC benchmarks and assessment tools. They also offer strategic guidance for public procurement and regulatory pilots aligned with the revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive and the EU Taxonomy, supporting the Czech construction sector's transition toward climate neutrality.