The Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) has released a roadmap that it says charts a path for federal buildings projects to achieve zero embodied carbon emissions by 2050.
Emissions standards can feasibly be set by the federal government to zero or “carbon-positive” levels, creating a framework for agencies to build carbon-storing projects by 2045, RMI says. Federal whole-project embodied carbon emissions standards could directly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a cumulative 17 million tons of CO2 by 2050—equivalent to removing 3.6 million gas-powered cars from the road for a year.
By enacting embodied carbon emissions standards, the federal government could catalyze markets for disruptive, deeply decarbonized materials, such as zero-carbon cement, zero-carbon steel, mass timber, or bio-based insulation. Concrete and steel represent more than 60% of embodied carbon emissions for US federal buildings, according to RMI.
RMI’s plan would also embrace climate-smart portfolio planning that calculates the embodied carbon value of preservation, renovation, and adaptive reuse of existing buildings. In addition, the plan includes whole project embodied carbon performance standards benchmarking of buildings.
Related Stories
| Oct 14, 2011
University of New Mexico Science & Math Learning Center attains LEED for Schools Gold
Van H. Gilbert architects enhances sustainability credentials.
| Oct 14, 2011
MaxLite receives 2011 Lighting for Tomorrow honorable mention
The judging panel was particularly impressed with the performance of this fixture.
| Oct 12, 2011
BIM Clarification and Codification in a Louisiana Sports Museum
The Louisiana State Sports Hall of Fame celebrates the sporting past, but it took innovative 3D planning and coordination of the future to deliver its contemporary design.
Office Buildings | Oct 12, 2011
8 Must-know Trends in Office Fitouts
Office designs are adjusting to dramatic changes in employee work habits. Goodbye, cube farm. Hello, bright, open offices with plenty of collaborative space.
| Oct 11, 2011
Pink light bulbs donated to Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
For every Bulbrite Pink Light Bulb that is purchased through the Cancer Center Thrift Shop, 100% of the proceeds will be donated to help support breast cancer research, education, screening, and treatment.
| Oct 7, 2011
GREENBUILD 2011: Demand response partnership program announced at Greenbuild 2011
Program will use USGBC’s newly revised LEED Demand Response credit as an implementation guideline and leverage its relationships with the building community to foster adoption and participation in existing utility and solution provider demand response offerings.
| Oct 7, 2011
GREENBUILD 2011: Otis Elevator announces new contracts for sustainable building projects
Wins reinforce Otis’ position as leader in energy-efficient products.
| Oct 7, 2011
GREENBUILD 2011: Schools program receives grant to track student conservation results
To track results, schools will use the newly developed Sustainability Dashboard, a unique web-based service that makes tracking sustainability initiatives affordable and easy.
| Oct 7, 2011
GREENBUILD 2011: Transparent concrete makes its North American debut at Greenbuild
The panels allow interior lights to filter through, from inside.
| Oct 6, 2011
GREENBUILD 2011: Growing green building market supports 661,000 green jobs in the U.S.
Green jobs are already an important part of the construction labor workforce, and signs are that they will become industry standard.
