Oslo’s C40 Clean Construction, decoded

What the C40 Declaration actually asks for

Oslo is a signatory to the C40 Clean Construction Declaration, which targets at least a 50% cut in embodied emissions for new buildings, major retrofits, and infrastructure by 2030 and prioritises zero‑emission construction machinery from 2025 where available (C40 Cities, 2025) (C40 Cities, 2025). That puts product-carbon data squarely in scope for suppliers.

The national rule that unlocks city requirements

Norway adopted a national regulation on April 3, 2025 that gives municipalities clear legal authority to require zero‑emission solutions or biogas on construction sites, with exemptions only where not technically feasible or disproportionately costly (Lovdata, 2025) (Lovdata, 2025). If you sell into Oslo, this is the lever that moves private as well as public projects.

Oslo’s on‑the‑ground progress and what’s next

By 2024, 85% of energy use from construction machinery on municipal sites was already emission‑free, according to the city’s own program leads (City of Oslo, 2025) (City of Oslo, 2025). A draft local regulation proposes that larger sites achieve at least 30% zero‑emission or biogas energy by 2027, rising to 90% by 2030, with limited exemptions (City of Oslo, 2025) (City of Oslo, 2025). For logistics, the city signals biogas or zero‑emission trucks from 2027 on municipal jobs, which changes last‑mile planning for deliveries (City of Oslo, 2025).

Why EPDs move you up the shortlist

Clean machinery tackles operational site emissions. The Declaration’s 50% target addresses embodied carbon, which lives in the materials. Without product‑specific, third‑party verified EPDs to show improvements against common PCRs, bidders risk defaulting to conservative assumptions in project carbon models. That can push a material out of contention even when performance is strong.

Procurement math you can win

From January 1, 2024, climate and environmental criteria must be weighted at a minimum of 30% in Norwegian public tenders, or replaced by verifiable requirements that deliver better climate outcomes (Anskaffelser.no, 2025) (Anskaffelser.no, 2025). Where owners convert those criteria into hard specs, EPDs become the proof that keeps you competitive on quality, not just price.

Program operators and standards commonly seen in Norway

Most building EPDs in Norway follow EN 15804 and are published through recognized program operators used across Europe. Manufacturers selling into Oslo typically choose the operator their customers trust and that fits their portfolio. What matters most is that the EPD is current, third‑party verified, and aligned with the PCR peers use, so buyers can compare apples to apples.

Speed without chaos

Teams often stall gathering plant data across utilities, energy, packaging, transport, and waste. A white‑glove approach that handles interviews, data cleaning, and scheduling lets R&D and operations stay focused on production while the LCA gets built. We prefer ruthless clarity on scope and reference year so nothing drifts late in the process.

Your Norway readiness checklist

1. Map target projects where Oslo’s rules are likely to apply and confirm which requirements are contractual versus award‑criteria based.
2. Align on the right PCR used by competitors in Norway, then collect data for the latest full reference year. If the product is new, confirm if a prospective EPD is acceptable.
3. Plan logistics for low‑ or zero‑emission deliveries to municipal sites to avoid last‑minute disqualification.
4. Refresh near‑expiring EPDs early so tenders don’t get tripped up by validity windows.

The takeaway for manufacturers

Oslo’s clean construction push rewards clarity and speed. When machinery goes electric and the tender gives 30% weight to climate performance, a crisp EPD becomes the ticket to play. Get the data right, publish with a suitable operator, and you are more likely to stay specified rather than swapped. It’s not magic, it’s management done on time. And yes, it’s definately worth it.