Measuring Embodied Carbon of Buildings: A Review of Methodologies and Benchmarking Towards Net Zero

Abstract

As the world strives towards achieving Net Zero emissions, reducing the carbon footprint of buildings has become a crucial consideration in sustainable development. This research aims to review the current methodologies for measuring embodied carbon of buildings and explore benchmarking strategies towards achieving Net Zero. The literature review covers various methodologies for measuring embodied carbon, including life cycle assessment (LCA) and Whole Building LCA. It also examines the limitations of these methodologies, such as the lack of standardisation and difficulty in measuring embodied carbon for complex building systems. The report highlights the importance of benchmarking embodied carbon, which involves comparing the embodied carbon of a building to a standard industry average. This study also explores the strategies that can be used to reduce embodied carbon in buildings, including material substitution, design optimization, and construction waste reduction. The study emphasizes the need for a holistic approach to reducing embodied carbon based on considering the entire life cycle of building materials and components. It highlights the potential benefits of implementing circular economy principles in reducing embodied carbon, as exemplified by material reuse and recycling. The study concludes that measuring embodied carbon is essential for achieving Net Zero emissions in the building industry. However, there is a need for standardisation and more robust methodologies to measure the embodied carbon of complex building systems. The study recommends the use of benchmarking as a strategy to incentivize the building industry to reduce embodied carbon. The report emphasises the importance of a holistic approach to reducing embodied carbon considering the potential benefits of implementing circular economy principles.