Embodied Carbon

1. Embodied Carbon

2. Ridge & Partners LLP • Established in 1945 • 12 offices in England and Wales • Over 650 employees in many different areas including; • Mechanical & Electrical Engineers • Architects • Civil & Structural Engineers • Planning Consultants • Project Managers & Quantity Surveyors • Transport Engineers • Building Surveyors • Sustainability Consultants • Who are we?

3. Carbon • Carbon compounds form the basis for all life on Earth • Chemical element - reactive non metal • >99% of carbon is found in the Earth’s crust in carbon sinks (mainly plants, ocean, soil) • Human activities have increased the amount of carbon (dioxide) and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere which is contributing to global warming and climate change • Carbon and energy are terms that are often used interchangeably as they are intrinsically linked to each other • What is carbon?

4. Operational Energy & Carbon • In the UK assessed via Building Regulations • Accredited professional produces an energy model of the proposed building • Compare proposed to a notional building • Minimum performance requirements must be demonstrated; • Thermal transmittance value of building elements such as the walls, roofs and windows (u-values) • Efficiencies of proposed systems e.g. heating, cooling, lighting, hot water etc • The predicted total carbon emissions must be at least the same as the notional for compliance to be achieved • Many local authorities set additional requirements e.g. minimum improvement using low or zero carbon technologies

5. Embodied Carbon • Considers the carbon that is inherent in a product – it’s Carbon Footprint • There are many different methodologies for reviewing the embodied carbon however typically these take into account the carbon associated with the following; • Material extraction • Transportation • Replacement • End of life

6. Carbon & Construction • UK Green Building Council reports that the built environment contributes around 40% of the UK’s total carbon footprint, about half of this thought to be related to energy use in existing buildings • 6-8% of the world’s total CO2 emissions derive directly from the concrete industry • In construction research suggests a significant amount of carbon emissions are associated with the manufactureof materials and their transportation

7. Carbon & Construction Source: https://www.ukgbc.org/climate-change/

8. Carbon & Construction Source: https://www.ukgbc.org/climate-change/

9. What’s being done? • Current focus on new builds as its easier to make changes here via the planning system • Being promoted by sustainability assessments such as BREEAM; • Rewards schemes that undertake detailed Life Cycle Assessments of embodied carbon – easier to achieve higher scores • A recognised third party tool must be used to quantify the embodied carbon • Compare to a “notional” building and demonstrate an improvement to gain maximum score • Early engagement is key to achieving improvements • Embodied carbon is referenced in the draft London Plan so watch this space…

10. Life Cycle Assessments in BREEAM • Software is essentially a large database with environmental profiles for many different products • As well as carbon other factors are also taken into consideration such as; • Acidification • Eutrophication • Ozone depletion potential • Formation of ozone in lower atmosphere • Biogenic carbon storage • Not just Embodied Carbon

11. Life Cycle Assessments in Practice • Early workshop to discuss the design using the software • Review options for different areas of the building: • Superstructure • Substructure • Hard landscaping • Building services • For industrial, offices and retail units the results are compared to a benchmark for maximum credits • At detailed design stage the superstructure design is reviewed again

12. Other Considerations • Operational carbon – still need to pass Building Regs • Cost – can align with life cycle costing considerations for a more complete picture • Procurement – some products are harder to get in the UK e.g. timber superstructure solutions are more common in other parts of Europe • Practical implications – lighter products tends to have less impact as easier to transport but can be less durable e.g. concrete vs asphalt. Embodied Carbon is just one of many considerations the design team will need to take into account

13. Looking Forwards • LCA is a powerful tool which has great potential however there are still several limitations; • Not all emissions are included, such as operational energy – need to consider this separately • The databases are only as good as the information they build upon and provided by manufacturers – this must be robustly policed • The databases are growing constantly but many materials are not UK based • Building services information is particularly limited currently • We have come a long way

14. Further information • https://www.oneclicklca.com/ • https://etoolglobal.com/ • https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378778813004374?via%3Dihub • https://www.bgs.ac.uk/discoveringGeology/climateChange/general/carbonStory.html • https://www.ukgbc.org/climate-change/ • https://www.ukgbc.org/sites/default/files/UK-GBC%20EC%20Developing%20Client%20Brief.pdf

15. Any Questions?