Embodied carbon draws increased attention from the building sector

Read the full story from the New Buildings Institute.

Embodied carbon, or the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with building materials from extraction through end-of-life and disposal/reuse, makes up more than 11% of global emissions. Embodied carbon emissions are not part of the energy efficiency regulated by the energy code. However, there has been a wave of embodied carbon actions at the local, state, and federal levels—most recently an allocation of many billions of dollars in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 for federal procurement and industry support of low-carbon building products.

With light being shone on the lifecycle impacts of building products, consumers—including government purchasers—are requesting manufacturers to share product information and deliver low-embodied carbon solutions. Procurement policies (also known as “Buy Clean” policies) are springing up across the county. Momentum is building for embodied carbon policies and initiatives that will make low-embodied carbon products one of the fastest growing markets of the next decade.