Reduced embodied carbon emissions

Embodied carbon refers to carbon embedded in the materials used in the building. Today, new buildings are more energy-efficient: that means that the share of embodied carbon in the building's lifecycle emissions is increasing. Tackling this issue at the design stage, with low-carbon materials, has significant benefits for our planet.
FAQ
What is embodied carbon?
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Quantity of carbon emissions containted in the building's materials
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CO2 emissions related to material extraction, manufacture, construction, demolition, and end of life
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Four construction materials with the highest embodied carbon: cement, steel, aluminium, plastic
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Complementary to operational carbon in the total of building's emissions. Operational carbon: amount of carbon emitted when the building is in use (energy, ventilation system, IT equipment, ...)

How to reduce embodied carbon in buildings?
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Action must be taken at the design stage, otherwise embodied carbon savings are lost for the entire lifetime of the building
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Special attention needed for the building structure, that accounts for 30-64% of embodied emissions
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Examples of solutions:
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Change the materials for high level of recycled content or alternative materials (agrictultural products that sequester carbon: wool, straw, hemp insulation, ...)
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Design lightweight constructions
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Consider buildings as material banks: use designs that facilitate the future reuse and recycling at the end-of-life of the building
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How to measure embodied carbon?
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Use a life-cycle assessment at building level, to have reliable information on the environmental impact of the project. Consider the global warming potential indicator.
How do we act?
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Reducing the carbon emissions of our production process (local sourcing, renewable energy to power industrial processes, increasing energy efficiency in our buildings, ...)
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Increasing the recycled content in our products (insulation, glazing and plasterboards)
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Offering lightweight products and solutions
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Developing solutions using alternative materials (reusing waste for other purposes, using bio-sourced materials)