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FTPractical how-to guide: Measuring Embodied Carbon on a Project

For this ‘How To’ Masterclass, the UK-GBC has partnered with BRE to provide you with a short guidance note on how to get started measuring embodied carbon on a project. Please note, this guide may be updated at the end of Embodied Carbon Week.

Background to BRE & UK Green Building Council

The UK Green Building Council requires its members to continually improve performance around sustainability. Resource efficiency and reducing embodied carbon is rapidly becoming a key area of focus for industry. For many the topic is complex, difficult to navigate and unclear in terms of where to start with measurement and reporting.

For almost 20 years the Green Guide to Specification has provided a means for designers to compare the embodied environmental impacts, including carbon, of building elements (e.g. floors, roofs, walls). The Green Guide is also how embodied impacts are assessed in BREEAM schemes. In addition, BRE carries out EPD (environmental product declarations) and responsible sourcing certification for construction products. Recently BRE, along with three other partners, launched IMPACT - whole building life cycle assessment for BIM.

Useful links and resources on embodied carbon measurement for a project

The information on the following pages has been prepared to provide you with a simple ‘quick start’ guide; setting out the fundamental steps involved in measuring and reducing embodied carbon on a project. By following these simple steps, you will have a good foundation-level understanding of how to measure embodied carbon on a project.

Top tips before you get started:

✓ Start early in the design process✓ Familiarise yourself with basics of life cycle assessment✓ Establish the commissioning client’s requirements and develop a goal and scope (e.g. carbon only or with

other indicators, cradle to gate or grave, compliance with standards e.g. EN 15978, options to appraise, target setting, BREEAM, LEED etc. credits)

✓ Decide if you have the required skill to undertake the assessment, or if you need a specialist consultant✓ Identify a tool that will improve the accuracy and efficiency of the assessment✓ Engage all of the design team members into the process

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Key questions to ask yourself and your team during a project(courtesy of Philippa Gill, Tishman Speyer)

“Do I need it at all?” “What is it made of?” “How is it made?” “Where does it come from, and to?”

Reducing embodied carbon throughout the building lifecycle

Product

Operations & maintanence

ConstructionEnd of life

How to reduce embodied carbon impacts of the product stage

• Consider more efficient building design (e.g. compact building form)

• Consider keeping as much of an existing structure/facade as possible

• Undertake options appraisals for substantial elements (e.g. structure, roof, glass)

• Set targets for embodied carbon across and project and monitor progress

• Select materials with lower carbon intensities, reused materials, or those with recycled content

• Engage with suppliers to avoid unncessary packaging prior to delivery

• Select materials which are produced locally, thus reducing transport related CO2 emissions

• Consider designing for less waste on site (eg. designing for off-site construction, ensuring materials are well protected prior to use to avoid damage, planning work sequences to minimise waste and re-work, work with suppliers to implement ‘take-back’ schemes for material surplus and off-cuts)

How to reduce embodied carbon impacts of the construction stage

• Select materials with lower transport-related carbon emissions (e.g. local sourcing, component re-use through deconstruction over demolition)

• Specify work procedures and methods that avoid waste (e.g. implementing Just-in-Time (JIT) delivery to avoid over-ordering, using appropriately sized vehicles to avoid half full deliveries)

• Use energy efficient site offices and ensure that lights and energy consuming equipment are switched off when not in use, and consider supplying the construction site with renewable energy

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• Monitor and evaluate on-site construction to ensure material efficiency and effective waste management

How to reduce embodied carbon impacts at the in use (operations and maintanence) stage

• Select materials with high levels of durability and low through-life maintenance (e.g. facades and fixing components which last as long as the building frame)

• Design to allow easy reconfiguration/remodelling of the building to meet changing needs

• Design that allows the easy replacement of aspects (e.g. example replace a few carpet tiles in high traffic areas)

• Develop a proactive maintenance, servicing and repair strategy

How to reduce embodied carbon impacts at the end of life stage

• Design for reuse (e.g. increase reuse of materials from demolition and earthworks)

• Design a building for deconstruction at the end of its life

• Divert waste materials from landfills

• Find uses for the demolition materials

• Use efficient demolition equipment

ResourcesTo supplement the masterclass, the following have been made available to you on Pinpoint, our easy to navigate, independent online platform signposting to the latest case studies, resources, toolkits and courses on sustainability. Resources marked with the Pinpoint icon ( ) are available on Pinpoint under the tag “How2EmbC” and can be found either by clicking the icon or by going to http://pinpoint.ukgbc.org and searching for “How2EmbC”.

Tools

Embodied Carbon - the Inventory of Carbon and Energy (ICE) by BSRIA

Construction Carbon Calculator by Faithful & Gould

IMPACT BIM LCA and Life cycle costing - www.IMPACTwba.com

The Green Guide Online - www.thegreenguide.org.uk

Standards

What Colour Is Your Building Information Paper 13: Embodied Carbon Standards by Cundall

BSI, BS EN 15978:2011, Sustainability of construction works - Assessment of environmental performance of buildings - Calculation method, BSI, London, 2011

BS EN 15804:2012, Sustainability of construction works. Environmental product declarations. Core rules for the product category of construction products, BSI, London, 2012

Guidance

A Guide to Understanding the Embodied Impacts of Construction Products by CPA

Methodology to Calculate Embodied Carbon of Materials by RICS

What Colour Is Your Building Information Paper 31: Embodied Carbon of Steel versus Concrete Buildings

Cutting Embodied Carbon In Construction Projects by WRAP

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The Green Guide to Specification by BRE

Whole-Life Carbon Footprint Measurement and Offices by BCO

Databases

Ecoinvent

Inventory of Carbon and Energy by University of Bath

WRAP Embodied Carbon Database by WRAP & UK-GBC

The Green Book live environmental profiles - www.greenbooklive.com/search/scheme.jsp?id=9

ECO Platform – the umbrella organisation for European EPD Programmes - www.eco-platform.eu

Gabi - www.gabi-software.com/uk-ireland/index/

Case studies

What Colour Is Your Building Information Paper 12: Embodied Carbon Case Studies for Office Buildings by Cundall

Embodied and operational carbon dioxide emissions from housing: A case study on the effects of thermal mass and climate change by Concrete Centre

Procurement and use of sustainable concrete on the Olympic Park by ODA

Additional resources

Atkins, Masterplanning Tool, 2010

Australian Government, National Greenhouse Accounts Factors

BCIS, Life Expectancy of Building Components: Surveyors’ Experiences of Buildings in Use: a Practical Guide, BCIS, 2006

Brighton and Hove City Council, Brighton and Hove City Council Climate Change Strategy, Brighton and Hove City Council, 2011

British Constructional Steelwork Association, The carbon footprint of steel, 2010

Concrete Centre, Embodied CO2

DEFRA Greenhouse Gas Conversion Factor Repository

Environmental Agency, Carbon calculator for construction activities, 2011

European Network of Construction Companies for Research and Development (ENCORD), Construction CO2e Measurement Protocol

Franklin+Andrews, UK Building Blackbook: The capital cost and embodied CO2 guide. Volume 2: Major works. Hutchins 2010 edition, Franklin+Andrews Ltd, Norwich, 2009 (978 1 901856 24 8)

GHG Protocol calculation tools

HM Government, Low Carbon Construction Innovation & Growth Team: Final Report, BIS, London, 2010

IPCC, Net Global Radiative Forcing, Global Warming Potentials and Patterns of Forcing, in IPCC Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2007

RICS, New Rules of Measurement. Volume 1 - Order of cost estimating and elemental cost planning, RICS, London, 2011

Roberts G., Li Q., Whole-life carbon: New-build schools, Building, 2012

SimaPro

Tata Steel, The Whole Story: From Cradle to Grave, 2011

Waste and Resources Action Programme, Cutting embodied carbon in construction projects