Embodied carbon in buildings accounts for 11% of all global greenhouse gas emissions, according to The Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) Greenprint Center for Building Performance.
A new report from that group, Embodied Carbon in Buildings Materials for Real Estate, explains how reducing embodied carbon in the construction process can save developers money and help mitigate the impacts of climate change. Embodied carbon refers to the emissions associated with the manufacturing, transportation, construction of building materials, as well as building materials disposal.
Greenprint and its members are striving to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030. The report examines multiple steps that contractors and developers can take to reduce their embodied carbon:
· Consider low-carbon structural materials, such as green concrete, recycled steel, or mass timber
· Reduce the total materials in building design, which can result in lower costs
· Repurpose used materials as much as possible, which can add authenticity to a project
· Specify lower-carbon materials when offering an RFP, which often comes at no added cost
· Calculate the embodied carbon of the materials in the project, to understand the emissions impacts and prepare the building for eventual embodied carbon reporting regulations that may be enacted by local municipalities
· Promote the embodied carbon reductions gain to build community good will and increase market awareness and adoption of reduced embodied carbon buildings
Related Stories
| Apr 23, 2012
AAMA releases updated specification for anodized aluminum
AAMA 611-12 describes test procedures and requirements for high performance (Class I) and commercial (Class II) architectural quality aluminum oxide coatings applied to aluminum extrusions and panels for architectural products.
| Apr 19, 2012
Michigan legislature tackling controversial rules on electricians
A fight is brewing in the Michigan legislature over how many fully qualified electricians must be present during electrical work when apprentices also are on hand.
| Apr 19, 2012
Washington city may base building code on rising sea level due to global warming
Aberdeen may become the first city in Washington to base a building code on rising oceans and global warming.
| Apr 19, 2012
CSI webinar on energy codes and building envelopes
This seminar will review recent changes in energy codes, examples of building enclosure wall assemblies for code compliance, potential moisture management and durability challenges, and design tools to assess and minimize potential problems.
| Apr 19, 2012
Innovative plan for storm water in Philadelphia gets EPA’s OK
Philadelphia's $2 billion plan to manage its storm water with green methods including porous pavement, green roofs, and more trees, was officially approved last week by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
| Apr 19, 2012
LEED 2012 to include new credit category for transit-oriented development
The updated LEED 2012 system will introduce a new credit category, “Location and Transportation,” to encourage development oriented around public transit and more walkable communities.
| Apr 17, 2012
FMI report examines federal construction trends
Given the rapid transformations occurring in the federal construction sector, FMI examines the key forces accelerating these changes, as well as their effect on the industry.
| Apr 16, 2012
University of Michigan study seeks to create efficient building design
The result, the researchers say, could be technologies capable of cutting the carbon footprint created by the huge power demands buildings place on the nation’s electrical grid.