Smaller construction companies risk falling behind in the green transition because they lack digital tools for climate documentation. With artificial intelligence, the requirements can be made easier to understand, manage, and comply with.
The Construction Maturity Survey shows it again and again: small and medium-sized companies lag behind when it comes to digitalization and data maturity, which makes it difficult for them to meet the stricter climate requirements just around the corner. This is a problem our industry can no longer ignore. It is not only the large players who need to be able to document their climate and CO₂ footprint. The requirements from developers, investors, and regulators affect the entire value chain, including the small carpenter, mason, and installation company.
Instead of seeing it as a burden, we should view it as an opportunity. An opportunity to let AI and data-driven tools relieve and streamline our work while simultaneously facilitating climate documentation, reporting, and coordination.
Climate requirements are here to stay, but SMEs are under pressure
The new climate requirements in the building regulations, effective from 1 July, place greater demands on documentation of CO₂ footprints and material choices. This applies both to large billion-dollar construction projects and to smaller projects that must demonstrate their impact. For SMEs, this means more hours spent on forms, templates, and data they may not have access to — or the resources to process.
The result? Many companies end up spending disproportionately large amounts of time and money on manual documentation, which in the end can mean they are excluded from tenders because they cannot provide the required documentation.
And this is where AI can help.
With the right digital tools, SMEs can participate in the climate agenda without drowning in administration.
Imagine if AI could automatically collect and structure climate data from material suppliers and the construction site. Or if it could function as a tool to generate complete climate reports based on the information entered for a specific construction project.
The solution already exists. Artificial intelligence and data-driven tools can automate large parts of the administrative burden and make climate documentation an integrated part of the construction process. At EG, we continuously work on solutions that make this possible — even for smaller companies without high digital maturity.
We must dare to invest in the right solutions
This is why, now more than ever, the industry in general, and digital solution providers specifically, must take responsibility. We need to promote tools that are intuitive, accessible, and targeted to SMEs’ daily operations. We must abandon the idea that digitalization is only for larger companies in the big city, and acknowledge that small businesses in rural areas need intelligent data management just as much as headquarters in Copenhagen.
We have seen in practice how AI and data-driven tools can ease the burden even for smaller companies. When AI is used correctly, it can automate the collection and structuring of climate data, generate documentation, and provide overview — without requiring heavy systems or long training programs.
This approach has been highly successful in collaboration with SMEs in the construction industry — and the experience is clear: it frees up time, reduces errors, and makes it possible to comply with requirements without drowning in administration.
Digitalization and AI are not a miracle cure. But they are an opportunity to make it easier to run a business in a time when demands are high and resources are limited. We owe it to our SMEs to give them the best possible conditions — and we owe it to the climate to make it easy for everyone to participate in the transition.