Sustainability beyond buildings: Assessing environmental impacts of Swedish urban life using LCA and emergy indicators

As cities continue to grow, understanding the full scope of environmental impacts associated with urban living becomes increasingly critical to ensure sustainable development and the fulfilment of ecological goals. This study integrates Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) into the Emergy Synthesis (ES) framework, generating a hybrid EmLCA method to assess environmental footprint of urban life, offering a holistic analysis of both material and servicerelated impacts. Using a Swedish residential complex as case study, results show that lifestyle factors, such as meat consumption, fast fashion, and private car use, are major contributors to climate change, eutrophication, acidification, and resource depletion, while the built environment accounts for only 1-2 % of total impact. These findings challenge the conventional sustainability aspects such as construction materials and energy use, underscoring the need to also address consumption patterns and societal systems that shape urban life. The inclusion of services, despite certain limitations, offers a broader and more realistic perspective on urban sustainability. This study highlights the importance of supporting sustainable lifestyles through policies that promote shared resources, reduce reliance on private vehicles, and encourage shifts toward less resource-intensive diets. By moving beyond the building envelope, the EmLCA approach offers valuable insights for urban planning and policy aimed at reducing emissions and fostering more sustainable cities.