From sink to emitter
Data table
Carbon footprint (GWP A1–A3, product stage, EN 15804+A2), density and thermal conductivity λ of each material. Sorted from biggest sink to biggest emitter. Source: DESCARBONIZA.COM.
| Material | Family | GWP A1–A3 (kg CO₂e/m³) | λ (W/m·K) | Density (kg/m³) | Data quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corcho expandido ICB | Bio-based | -2,035 | 0.04 | 115 | High |
| Bala de paja construcción | Bio-based | -1,500 | 0.05 | 110 | Low |
| Panel paja prensada (EKOPANELY proxy) | Bio-based | -800 | 0.105 | 350 | Low |
| CLT pino (500 kg/m³) | Bio-based | -708 | 0.13 | 500 | High |
| Tarima de madera maciza | Bio-based | -700 | 0.15 | 600 | Medium |
| Tablero contrachapado (plywood) | Bio-based | -650 | 0.13 | 550 | Medium |
| Fibra de madera (160 kg/m³) | Bio-based | -150 | 0.038 | 160 | High |
| Celulosa insuflada — AislaNat | Bio-based | -54.5 | 0.039 | 45 | Medium |
| Panel aislante de cáñamo | Bio-based | -50 | 0.039 | 40 | Low |
| Lana de oveja (aislante) | Bio-based | -4 | 0.039 | 25 | Low |
| Cámara de aire | Minerals & aggregates | 0 | 0.25 | 1 | High |
| Grava 20-40 mm (lastre) | Minerals & aggregates | +5 | 0.7 | 1,600 | Low |
| EPS (15 kg/m³) | Petrochemicals | +54.3 | 0.036 | 15 | Medium |
| Placa de yeso laminado (PYL) | Binders | +66 | 0.25 | 850 | High |
| Placa de arcilla Ecoclay (PLAC / PLACork, media) | Earth & ceramics | +73.5 | 0.18 | 1,225 | High |
| Perlita expandida | Minerals & aggregates | +80 | 0.06 | 100 | Low |
| Mortero de arcilla Ecoclay (Base / Base+Fibra / Acabado) | Earth & ceramics | +99 | 0.24 | 1,817 | High |
| Hormigón aligerado | Binders | +110 | 0.45 | 700 | Low |
| Revoco de cal | Binders | +120 | 0.8 | 1,600 | Low |
| XPS (32 kg/m³) | Petrochemicals | +120 | 0.034 | 32 | High |
| Lana de roca (40 kg/m³) | Minerals & aggregates | +135 | 0.035 | 40 | High |
| Termoarcilla 29 | Earth & ceramics | +190 | 0.29 | 770 | Low |
| Ladrillo hueco doble | Earth & ceramics | +200 | 0.32 | 930 | Low |
| Hormigón armado HA-25 | Binders | +340 | 1.65 | 2,400 | Low |
| Mortero de cemento | Binders | +340 | 1 | 1,900 | Low |
| Teja cerámica curva | Earth & ceramics | +350 | 1 | 2,000 | Low |
| Cal hidráulica natural NHL 3,5 — Secil | Binders | +404 | no data | 750 | High |
| Baldosa de gres porcelánico | Earth & ceramics | +700 | 1.3 | 2,300 | Low |
| Cemento bajo en carbono ECOPlanet CEM II/B-M(S-L) 42,5R — Holcim | Binders | +773 | no data | 1,400 | High |
| Vidrio doble bajo emisivo 4/16/4 Ar | Minerals & aggregates | +950 | 0.8 | 2,500 | Low |
| Cemento Pórtland CEM I 52,5R — Secil (Outão) | Binders | +1,130 | no data | 1,400 | High |
| Vidrio celular (Foamglass) | Minerals & aggregates | +1,200 | 0.041 | 120 | Low |
| Perfil acero galvanizado (steel frame) | Metals | +1,600 | 50 | 7,850 | Low |
| Perfil de acero laminado (HEB/IPE) | Metals | +2,000 | 50 | 7,850 | Low |
| Lámina impermeabilizante bituminosa | Petrochemicals | +2,100 | 0.23 | 1,100 | Low |
| Lámina impermeabilizante EPDM | Petrochemicals | +2,400 | 0.25 | 1,200 | Low |
| Chapa de zinc para fachada | Metals | +3,400 | 110 | 7,140 | Low |
| Junta precomprimida (Compriband) | Petrochemicals | +4,000 | 0.04 | 30 | Low |
| Espuma de poliuretano para sellado | Petrochemicals | +4,500 | 0.028 | 40 | Low |
| Aerogel (manta aislante) | Petrochemicals | +5,500 | 0.014 | 150 | Low |
GWP figures come from a product EPD when data quality is "High"; "Medium" indicates an industry-average EPD and "Low" an estimate or generic database. Family classification, averages and ranking: our own calculation. n/d = no data.
Insulants: footprint per m² at equal insulation
The same EPD data brought to the project question: how much CO₂ does it cost to insulate 1 m² equally well? Thickness = R·λ and GWP/m² = GWP/m³ × thickness, with a reference R = 3 m²·K/W. Since R is a common factor, the ranking doesn't depend on its value.
| Insulant | λ (W/m·K) | Thickness for R=3 (cm) | GWP A1–A3 (kg CO₂e/m²) | Data quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corcho expandido ICB | 0.04 | 12 | -244.2 | High |
| Bala de paja construcción | 0.05 | 15 | -225 | Low |
| Fibra de madera (160 kg/m³) | 0.038 | 11.4 | -17.1 | High |
| Celulosa insuflada — AislaNat | 0.039 | 11.7 | -6.4 | Medium |
| Panel aislante de cáñamo | 0.039 | 11.7 | -5.9 | Low |
| Lana de oveja (aislante) | 0.039 | 11.7 | -0.5 | Low |
| EPS (15 kg/m³) | 0.036 | 10.8 | +5.9 | Medium |
| XPS (32 kg/m³) | 0.034 | 10.2 | +12.2 | High |
| Lana de roca (40 kg/m³) | 0.035 | 10.5 | +14.2 | High |
| Perlita expandida | 0.06 | 18 | +14.4 | Low |
| Vidrio celular (Foamglass) | 0.041 | 12.3 | +147.6 | Low |
| Aerogel (manta aislante) | 0.014 | 4.2 | +231 | Low |
Only materials whose function is thermal insulation (λ ≤ 0.1 W/m·K, excluding seals, joints and membranes). GWP/m³ and λ as reported in each EPD; the conversion to m² is a geometric factor (thickness = R·λ) declared above.