Brief
Carbon emissions that occur in upfront activities related to construction and renovation constitute what is commonly referred to as embodied carbon. Marta Bouchard examines this and related carbon issues in the built world as well as the broader issues of total greenhouse gas emissions in construction and what can be done to reduce the harm.
Insight
More than 70 countries and 1,200 companies have committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, according to the United Nations. The goal of net zero is to cut carbon emissions to curb climate change to protect the planet and future generations. Human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are a primary driver of climate change—which, if humans want to mitigate climate impacts to the ecosystem, must be addressed from all perspectives, across all industries.
What Is Embodied Carbon?
Embodied carbon in the context of the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry refers to the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions released into the atmosphere during the upfront activities necessary to construct or renovate buildings and infrastructure. Reported as carbon-equivalent emissions (CO2e), the total accounting of GHGs emitted during the build phase is called embodied carbon because the environmental impacts associated with building activities are locked in place prior to operation.
Embodied carbon includes all the upfront activities that are part of construction, as well as any kind of renovation—replacing a roof, fitting-out a tenant space, or simply replacing carpet or repainting—activities that also generate GHG emissions. Before the building systems are operating, a carbon footprint has been formed.
Operational Carbon
Energy from fuel-burning activities during building operations can be converted to the metric of operational carbon. Operational carbon, therefore, is the amount of GHG emissions released during the operational, or in-use, phase of a building; for example, it can be calculated from energy bills and reported annually. Operational carbon is the carbon-equivalent emissions associated with the operation phase of the building, including heating, cooling, lighting, and power.
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