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
Codes and Standards | Jul 27, 2022
Biden administration proposes drastic flood insurance reform
The Biden administration’s proposed major overhaul to the National Flood Insurance Program, or NFIP, would drastically alter how Americans protect homes and businesses against flooding.
Codes and Standards | Jul 22, 2022
Office developers aim for zero carbon without offsets
As companies reassess their office needs in the wake of the pandemic, a new arms race to deliver net zero carbon space without the need for offsets is taking place in London, according to a recent Bloomberg report.
Codes and Standards | Jul 22, 2022
Hurricane-resistant construction may be greatly undervalued
New research led by an MIT graduate student at the school’s Concrete Sustainability Hub suggests that the value of buildings constructed to resist wind damage in hurricanes may be significantly underestimated.
Building Team | Jul 20, 2022
San Francisco overtakes Tokyo as the world’s most expensive city for construction
San Francisco has overtaken Tokyo as the world’s most expensive city for construction, according to a new report from Turner & Townsend.
Airports | Jul 18, 2022
FAA will award nearly $1 billion for airport projects
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will award nearly $1 billion to 85 airports of all sizes across the country to improve terminals.
Building Team | Jul 13, 2022
The YIMBY movement emerges as valuable advocate for affordable housing
Over the past few decades, developers grew accustomed to nothing but staunch opposition to dense affordable housing project proposals.
Codes and Standards | Jul 12, 2022
USGBC sets out principles for LEED’s future
The U.S. Green Building Council recently published a report containing principles outlining how LEED will evolve.
Codes and Standards | Jul 8, 2022
Inefficient supply chains, outdated project delivery systems hamper construction investment
Constructing and justifying the cost of physical assets such as a manufacturing plant is much more difficult than it was decades ago, according to a report by Steffen Fuchs, senior partner with McKinsey & Company.
Building Team | Jul 7, 2022
Report explores improving architect/contractor relationship
A new study by the American Institute of Architects and the Associated General Contractors of America focuses on improving the relationship between architects and contractors.
Codes and Standards | Jun 15, 2022
Waived tariffs on solar panels expected to boost solar power
The Biden Administration recently waived tariffs on solar panels from four countries in a move advocates say will accelerate the clean energy transition and benefit national security.
