Embodied Carbon
Researchers in a laboratory at Oregon State University study the properties of cross-laminated timber. CLTs are a way to reduce the embodied impacts of a structural system.
“Embodied carbon” typically refers to the upfront greenhouse gas emissions associated with producing building materials.
Structural materials like steel and concrete tend to have the highest embodied carbon within a building, but all the other products, even down to interior finishes like drywall and carpet, come into play as well. To learn about the embodied carbon of a specific product, look to an environmental product declaration. A whole-building life-cycle assessment is necessary to understand the emissions associated with an entire project.
Embodied Carbon
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
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Better Steel, Lower Impacts
Feature Article
Steel’s reputation for high embodied energy and carbon emissions are well documented, but improvements in processing, product selection, and end use can minimize these impacts.
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The Great Eight: High-Impact Material Choices for Green Building
Feature Article
We’re at a tipping point in insulation, flooring, textiles, and other product categories. Here’s what to spec and what to avoid.
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Circular Economy at Scale: Six International Case Studies
Feature Article
These teams are applying radical life-cycle thinking to entire projects—and redefining what building ownership means in the process.
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EPDs Are the Future of the Building Industry, Whether You Like It or Not
Feature Article
Environmental product declarations are taking off, but can they actually fly? Experts share the ups and downs of this promising but imperfect transparency tool.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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How to Read an EPD: 7 Tips from the Field (Video)
Primer
In this short video primer, Arup engineer Frances Yang explains how to get what you need from environmental product declarations.
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Embodied Carbon: Measuring How Building Materials Affect Climate
Primer
Just as operating buildings emits greenhouse gases, buying and installing building materials, product, and appliances causes emissions as well.
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Binders in Manufactured Wood Products: Beyond Formaldehyde
Primer
Concerned about emissions regulations, the manufactured wood products industry is moving away from glues formulated with urea formaldehyde and phenol formaldehyde.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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Fiberglass, XPS, Cork? Insulation Options for LEED v4 and Living Buildings
Product Review
Choosing insulation with an eye to points in LEED v4 or Living Building Challenge compliance? Here’s how insulation materials compare.
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Unmilled Timber Frames Go High Tech, Replacing Steel
Product Review
Keep the beauty of round logs, and get more strength from an engineered wood structure, promises Wisconsin-based company WholeTrees.
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A Tour of Cool Products from Greenbuild 2016
Product Review
These products from Greenbuild 2016 expo floor save water, use wood in innovative ways, and protect buildings and materials from the elements
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Lighter, Lower-Carbon Concrete Decks with BubbleDeck
Product Review
BubbleDeck's matrix of concrete, plastic spheres, and steel reduces the amount of concrete required in structural slabs.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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The Rise of Mass Timber in a Volatile Market
News Analysis
Demand for mass timber is going up, but there’s still lots of room to grow. Can that happen—sustainably—in today’s market?
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Are Net-Zero-Carbon Labs Feasible?
News Brief
HOK has released a study on laboratory buildings showing how to slash both operational and embodied carbon.
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A New Embodied Carbon Calculation Tool for Passive House
News Brief
The Passive House Network’s PHribbon software calculates a building's whole-life carbon footprint from cradle to grave, incorporating operational and transportation inputs.
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New York State Tackles Electrification, Embodied Carbon
News Brief
Governor Kathy Hochul has laid out plans for widespread building electrification and signed a law regarding low-embodied-carbon concrete.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Building Products Matter Even More Than We Thought
Op-Ed
Operational energy use is critical, but materials might be an even bigger part of the solution to climate change and other pressing environmental issues.
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Building Materials and the Time Value of Carbon
Op-Ed
When you save matters. What you build matters. Here’s why we need to build well and rebuild better.
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Opinion: How EPDs Are Improving Our Products—A Manufacturer’s Perspective
Op-Ed
Some manufacturers wonder if EPDs are worth the effort. Yes—and the business case is stronger than the marketing case.
Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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Net-Zero Energy Isn’t the Real Goal: 8 Reasons Why
Spotlight Report
In this report, we list eight ways that NZE projects miss the mark on climate goals, including how they affect the electricity grid, transportation, embodied carbon, and resilience, and how we can course-correct to achieve our goals.
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Wood: What’s Good?
Spotlight Report
Mass timber is lauded for being “climate smart”—meaning it helps mitigate climate change—because it stores carbon from the atmosphere instead of emitting carbon.
But is this true? -
The Urgency of Embodied Carbon and What You Can Do About It
Spotlight Report
Building materials emit massive amounts of carbon long before the lights go on. Here’s how thoughtful design can reduce global warming impact.
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