Emission Factors of Construction Materials in Burkina Faso: A Cradle-to-Gate Life Cycle Assessment Approach Based on Local Assumptions

The building and public works sector is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries due to the high material intensity of infrastructure and the dependence on imported materials. In Burkina Faso, as in most African countries, environmental assessments remain limited by the lack of locally representative emission factors, creating uncertainty in carbon accounting. This study estimates emission factors for key construction materials in Burkina Faso using a simplified cradle-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) adapted to national technical, energy, and logistical conditions. The materials analyzed include cement, steel, flat glass, aluminium, aggregates, sand, timber, ceramic tiles, paint, bitumen, and asphalt mixes. The results reveal significant variations in the carbon intensity of construction materials in the Burkina Faso context. Aluminium exhibits the highest emission factor (12.804 tCO2/t), followed by paint (2.50 tCO2/t), steel (1.970 tCO2/t), Portland cement (1.060 tCO2/t), ceramic tiles (0.99 tCO2/t), flat glass (0.84 tCO2/t), bitumen (0.628 tCO2/t), asphalt mixes (0.130 tCO2/t), timber (0.16 tCO2/t), aggregates (0.008 tCO2/t), and sand (0.0013 tCO2/t). Portland cement exhibits a slightly higher emission factor than the values commonly reported in the literature (0.85–0.95 tCO2/t), while steel, aluminium, flat glass, ceramic tiles, bitumen, asphalt mixes, timber, and paint remain within internationally reported ranges. In contrast, sand exhibits a slightly lower emission factor than typical literature values, reflecting its limited processing requirements. Aggregates and sand show the lowest emission factors due to minimal industrial processing and greater local availability. These differences are mainly driven by import dependence, long- distance maritime and road transportation, the characteristics of the national electricity mix, and local production conditions. The study supports the development of context-specific carbon assessments and environmental databases for Burkina Faso and other West African countries.