The construction industry value chain is leading the way on reducing embodied carbon in products, driven by a variety of factors. The UN 2020 Global Status Report found that 10 per cent of all global emissions are from construction products manufacturing, and with a legal commitment to net zero in 2050, the sector has a major contribution to make in carbon savings. UKGBC’s Whole Life Carbon Roadmap said that to reach the goals a 57% reduction in embodied carbon was needed by 2035 in commercial construction, and 50% in residential.
And simply put, Government inaction on including embodied carbon in official regulation has left the industry to discover its own viable routes to reducing the emissions of products and processes, in collaboration with specifiers. Embodied carbon calculation and reporting, ranging from raw material extraction to factory processes and energy use, transport networks, construction impacts and end-of-life, is complex and wide-ranging. However, many manufacturers have proactively made great strides in providing the transparent data required by specifiers.
The draft Part Z amendment to the Building Regulations produced by multiple sector bodies remains a potentially compelling proposal, which if made law could transform the industry’s approach to embodied carbon. However while we wait for this to join the statutory conveyor belt, the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard which Part Z aligns with has entered the fray, as a practical lever for change.
There are a number of challenges for suppliers and specifiers in addressing embodied carbon data, before the prospect of legal limits becomes a reality. These are currently being addressed by forward-thinking firms, and our round table is a key opportunity to discuss the drivers for tackling embodied carbon, how it is impacting specification, and how suppliers are dealing with issues such as the proliferation of data and measurement methods. With UKGBC reporting in 2023 that embodied carbon was increasing in projects from 2021 and 2022, there is still a long way to go.
This round table will bring together specifiers, embodied carbon advocates and the wider value chain to discuss key issues and strategies on driving down embodied carbon. With whole-life carbon assessments to potentially be made mandatory for larger developments under Part Z, the discussion will provide some vital thought and practical focus for the design, delivery and supply sides of the market, but also highlight innovations from the industry for addressing this ‘missing link’ of sustainability in projects.
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TopicsEmbodied Carbon Part Z