Data Provenance and Whole-Life Carbon Assessment: A Colombian Residential Building Case Study

This study evaluates how differences in data provenance and inventory construction influence whole-life carbon assessment (WLCA) results for a residential building in Colombia. Two scenarios were assessed: Scenario A, based on contractor records (building Company Z) and the public utility supplier; and Scenario B, based on drawing-derived quantity take-offs and a Colombian regulatory energy baseline (Resolution 0549 of 2015). The assessment follows UNE-EN 15978 and Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) WLCA for modules A1–A3, A4–A5, and B6. Scenario B reached 784.4 kg CO2e/m2, which is 37.9% higher than Scenario A. In the product stage, impacts increased from 298.1 to 332.6 kg CO2e/m2, while in the operational energy stage they increased from 246.2 to 426.2 kg CO2e/m2. The results show that WLCA outcomes are highly sensitive to data provenance, reporting gaps, and baseline selection, underscoring the need for stronger data governance and more traceable environmental reporting practices in building assessment.