ENVI-met, a company specialising in 3D modelling software for urban environments, has been acquired by One Click LCA, a construction and manufacturing sustainability software provider.
The move will combine ENVI-met’s urban climate modelling with One Click LCA’s environmental impact assessments, it was shared.
According to ENVI-met, its tool enables users to create virtual models of urban spaces and analyse how objects such as buildings, vegetation, and different materials interact with natural elements such as wind and sunlight.
Simulating these interactions, it said, provides insight into the microclimatic effects of urban design choices, and can help guide decision-makers in creating cities that are both climate-adaptive and sustainable.
One Click LCA’s platform, meanwhile, provides automated life-cycle assessment (LCA) and environmental product declarations (EPDs) to calculate and reduce the environmental impacts of building, infrastructure, and renovation projects and products.
The platform also allows assessment of circularity, life-cycle cost, and biodiversity.
“This collaboration unites two visionary approaches to addressing climate change in cities,” said Daniela Bruse, CEO & Co-founder of ENVI-met.
“By combining ENVI-met’s environmental simulations with One Click LCA’s life-cycle assessment tools, we’re setting a new standard in sustainable urban planning. Our customers will now have the tools to improve thermal comfort, reduce urban heat, and lower the carbon footprint of entire neighborhoods, helping cities adapt to climate change.”
The MoU comes as the world’s cities continue to heat up. UNEP data warns that cities are now warming at twice the global average rate due to the urban heat island effect.
Moreover, by 2050, 1.6 billion city residents are set to face extreme heat, health, and economic impacts.
“Together with ENVI-met we bring our clients advanced capabilities to address climate resilience. By integrating ENVI-met’s powerful microclimate simulation tools with One Click LCA’s existing sustainability platform, we offer urban planners, architects, and developers a novel toolkit to create more sustainable, resilient, and healthy urban spaces,” said Panu Pasanen, CEO & Founder of One Click LCA.