Let's talk about carbon

The carbon footprint of buildings is changing. Operational carbon has significantly reduced as there’s been a focus on lowering emissions from energy used to light and heat buildings once they’re occupied. Great news! Well, it is, but operational carbon is only part of the carbon story.  All eyes are now on embodied carbon (or ‘upfront’ carbon) which now makes up more of a building’s overall carbon footprint.

So, what is embodied carbon?

Embodied carbon is the CO2 emissions associated with materials and construction processes throughout the entire lifecycle of a building or infrastructure. It includes any CO2 created during the extraction of materials used in the building process, the transportation of these materials and the manufacturing process of the materials. It also includes the transportation of the building-ready materials to the site, as well as the construction practices and machinery used to complete the project. The emissions from the eventual demolition (and demolition process) of the structure are also part of the calculated embodied carbon, as well as the transportation of its waste and recycling it. It’s huge!

What does this mean is the future of construction?

The World Green Building Council demands radical change to the construction sector’s approach to tackling embodied carbon emissions. To achieve full decarbonisation across the global building and construction sectors, systemic change is needed.

According to The World Green Building Council, buildings are responsible for 39% of global energy related carbon emissions and of this 39%, 11% is from materials and construction. With predictions that the world’s population will approach 10 billion by 2050, global building stock is expected to double in size. Embodied carbon will be responsible for half of the carbon footprint of new construction between now and the middle of the century.

The building and construction sector therefore has an important role to play in reducing carbon, and lowering embodied carbon is critical. The World Green Building Council has a vision that by 2030, all new buildings, infrastructure and renovations will have at least 40% less embodied carbon and all new buildings will have an operational carbon level of net zero. By 2050, The World Green Building Council expects that all new buildings, infrastructure and renovations will have net zero embodied carbon as well.

To realise this vision, communication and transparency across the construction chain is key. This transparency needs to be apparent from the concrete, steel and timber industries, to manufacturers, transportation companies, plant and equipment businesses, developers, construction and infrastructure businesses, and undoubtedly many, many more.

Find out more about sustainable plant solutions to reduce the embodied carbon on your project or event. Our expert team can help you calculate carbon, advise you on cutting-edge zero or low carbon solutions, and advise if they will work in your use case. We can make it seriously simple to reduce your carbon footprint. Speak to us on 0333 533 0100 or via our contact page.

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