ASCE Infrastructure 2050

Today marks the first formal offerings under EPA's Technical Assistance Program related to low embodied carbon construction materials. First, and perhaps most significant, is an opportunity for industry, nonprofits, public agencies, and other organizations to receive direct advisory services related to EPD development and use. This program provides direct access to EPA's deep network of embodied carbon and EPD experts for issues related to EPDs, PCRs, and low carbon procurement. You can learn more about this program on EPA's low embodied carbon website. https://lnkd.in/eu63zeWr The second is a newly released guide for manufacturers around how and why to develop EPDs. This is a great primer for folks just getting started with EPDs. https://lnkd.in/ehwdH35v

We are pleased to share our introductory guidance note for #PAS2080 for #Bridges. The note builds upon existing guidance (that we have highlighted in previous posts). It draws out the primary intentions of PAS2080 and provides a #carbon reduction hierarchy specific to #bridge projects that is aligned with holistic guidance provided in the specification. The note can be found here: https://lnkd.in/eFGbY6xh The task group intends to expand upon this introductory guidance in future publications. Thanks to Chair of the PAS2080 Task Group Clotilde Robin (Expedition Engineering Ltd , Cameron Archer-Jones (COWI), Richard Brooks (Waterman Group), Francesca De Petris (Tony Gee and Partners), Brian Duguid (Mott MacDonald), Henry Duncomb (Expedition Engineering Ltd), Solene Fercocq (Arup), Kirils Holstovs (AECOM), Peter Nugent (Buro Happold), Gemma Small CEng MICE (Costain Group PLC).

Thank you for joining us for an insightful discussion surrounding embodied carbon reduction strategies and carbon calculations! We were thrilled to join 400+ session attendees today who were eager to learn more about pursuing Envision Credit CR1.1 Reduce Net Embodied Carbon. It was a privilege to collaborate with cement and concrete professionals, as well as infrastructure system professionals - including bridges, tunnels, and aviation - to explore practical calculations and innovative solutions. Let's continue to explore opportunities to prioritize sustainable infrastructure, together. Organizations: Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure | Portland Cement Association | National Ready Mixed Concrete Association | Delve Underground | HNTB | C&S Companies | STV Lindsey Geiger, PE | Tiffany Reed-Villarreal, P.E., ENVSP, M.ASCE | Chris Nelsen, PE | Peter Wang, PhD, ENV SP | Alexandra Davis-Petrenko | Lauren Alger, PE | Anthony Kane, ENV SP #sustainability #embodiedcarbon #infrastructure #AEC #ISI #Envision

Our future depends on the choices we make today. Prioritizing a conscious balance of low-carbon materials, energy-efficient systems, and climate-adaptive infrastructure will support healthier, more resilient communities for generations to come. I was honored to join the Consortium for Sustainable Urbanization's Carbon Free Cities conference at the United Nations to voice how industry-wide collaboration can transform design and construction practices, in an effort to shape a more sustainable urban future. Beyond grateful for the organizers and fellow panelists who share this dedication: AIA New York | Center for Architecture | Nicholas Hamilton, NOMA | Yasemin Kologlu | Layth Madi | Cindy McLaughlin | Alison Landry, AIA | Lance Jay Brown, FAIA | Rick Bell Always thrilled to represent the industry efforts of many, including: STV | ASCE Infrastructure 2050 | SE 2050 | Architecture 2030 | Carbon Leadership Forum | The Embodied Carbon Harmonization and Optimization (ECHO) Project

CODE 323 - Low-Carbon Concrete was finally published today. I know I've talked about this ad nauseam, and I'm probably not going to stop (be warned). I truly believe this to be the most consequential thing I've done in my life. I'm incredibly proud of this work and honored to have been able to lead Committee 323 at ACI in the development of this new building code. Each member was instrumental in the development of this code, moving it through the consensus development process, and final approval. I also appreciate ACI's support throughout the process of development. A quick (and pretty rough) back-of-the-envelope calculation indicates that if CODE-323 were implemented today in just the United States, we would prevent upwards of 40,000,000,000 lbs of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere each year. I am the first to admit, that isn't enough and we have more work to do; but it is a fantastic step forward for our community. Now we have the difficult part of getting this Code adopted around the country. In the coming months, in partnership with NEU: An ACI Center of Excellence for Carbon Neutral Concrete, we will be releasing a range of educational and training materials for using the Code. I encourage everyone involved in the concrete industry to consider adopting this Code, utilizing its concepts in your design, and encouraging your local jurisdictions to adopt it. The Code can be purchased here: https://lnkd.in/eWPM2mJR

CONFERENCE SESSION SPOTLIGHT! ?? SESSION C | Cutting Carbon Before Operation: Addressing Embodied Emissions This session will explore the key materials of cement and concrete and the manufacturing industry’s roadmap for reaching carbon neutrality. Executing that roadmap will involve the entire value chain, starting at the cement plant and extending through the entire life cycle of the built environment to incorporate the circular economy. The session will also look at the complexities of pursuing Envision Credit "CR1.1 Reduce Net Embodied Carbon" through the lens of the ASCE Infrastructure 2050 commitment and offer a real-world case study demonstrating the embodied carbon analysis process. *This session will be offered concurrently with Session D. Participation will satisfy one ELECTIVE hour toward ENV SP credential maintenance. ?? Featuring: Lindsey Geiger, PE (Portland Cement Association) Tiffany Reed-Villarreal, P.E., ENVSP, M.ASCE (National Ready Mixed Concrete Association) Lauren Alger, PE (STV) Peter Wang, PhD (HNTB) Alexandra Davis (C&S Companies) Chris Nelsen, PE (Delve Underground) ??? Date: November 6 – 7, 2024 ?? Location: Virtual ?? Cost: Free ?? Details: https://lnkd.in/eXPfNp4U #ISIAnnualConference #RealizingtheVision #sustainableinfrastructure #sustainabledevelopment #sustainabilityleaders #envsp #envision #embodiedcarbon #carbonneutral #circulareconomy

We are delighted to share that the ECHO Project has been honored with the Malcom Lewis IMPACT Award from the U.S. Green Building Council! We are honored and grateful to the Council for this award (in the name of a movement leader) ... and especially so, given that this project is all about collaboration and alignment ... and a deep commitment to moving forward together toward climate action in the built environment. Learn more about the ECHO project here -- https://lnkd.in/gts3m37P. We are honored to be a convening organization along with Living Future, Building Transparency, Carbon Leadership Forum, and the USGBC. The additional participating organizations are The American Institute of Architects (AIA), the CAGBC | Canada Green Building Council, the Contractors Commitment, the Climate Positive Design Challenge, American Society of Landscape Architects, the MEP 2040 Commitment, the American Society of Civil Engineers (Infrastructure 2050 and SEI SE 2050 Commitment), Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure, and the Urban Land Institute. Learn more about this award and other leadreship honoreers: https://lnkd.in/gvGbxCQS

#COP29 is coming up 11-22 November ... and we are delighted to be participating again this year, as critical policy agreements and NGO collaborations are advanced. This year, our in-person delegation to the Baku, Azerbaijan, event is Yasemin Kologlu (Senior Fellow) and Anica Landreneau (HOK). In addition, Pamela Conrad (Senior Fellow) is attending this year as part of the American Society of Landscape Architects delegation. If you will be on site or your organization has an event our team should attend (or participate in), please be in touch. And we'd love to know about events we can tap into virtually, too, because we are thrilled to again have a robust coalition of virtual delegates: Our own Edward Mazria and Vincent Martinez, plus Lori Ferriss, AIA, PE, Built Buildings Lab (and Senior Fellow) Lisa Richmond, Climate Strategy Works (and Senior Fellow) Lauren Alger, PE, STV Kelly Alvarez Doran, Ha/f Climate Design (and Senior Fellow) Rosie Paul, Masons Ink Eustacia Brossart, Climate Positive Design Prem Sundharam, DLR Group Pamela Yonkin, HDR Our key themes this year: Investing in the Future - #ResilientAndCarbonSequesteringCities: The exterior built environment offers a powerful opportunity to address climate change through design, planning, tools, and local government policies. #ExistingBuildings - Reuse as Climate Action: Harnessing existing buildings for global decarbonization #Sufficiency in The Built Environment: Dramatically reducing demand for land, new construction, and resources in North America. #TraditionalKnowledge as Climate Action: Harnessing the immense potential of traditional and indigenous knowledge, passive systems, for place-based climate mitigation and adaptation in the built environment. #Arch2030atCOP29 #DesignIsClimateAction #SufficiencyByDesign #NatureBasedSolutionsByDesign #BuildingReuseIsClimateAction #PlaceBasedMitigationAdaptation

Bridging the Gap to a Sustainable Future Are you a bridge engineer or construction professional passionate about sustainability? We're seeking dedicated individuals to join our Working Group. Together, we will develop a Guidance Document that will empower practitioners to: - Quantify embodied carbon in bridge structures - Evaluate low-carbon materials and design strategies - Reduce the environmental impacts of bridge projects Please complete this questionnaire by Friday, November 1st: https://lnkd.in/eqs_H-2G

I’m excited to be headed to the World Economic Forum’s Urban Transformation Summit in San Francisco next week. I thought the program last year in Detroit was excellent and it was helpful in making new collaborations to advance our mission to decarbonize the built environment. Notably, I was able to join the Forum’s Building Tomorrow’s Infrastructure Task Force and contribute to this newly released report,?Implementing a Lifecycle Approach to Infrastructure: A Policy Roadmap for Cities, which aims to balance short-term and long-term impacts on essential infrastructure needs around the world. Launch page: https://lnkd.in/gKW9fR2f Full report: https://lnkd.in/gam5PmS2 It was a pleasure working with Adair Smith , Daniel Sweeney, and Andrew Collinge on the roadmap. I was also able to put together this piece for the Forum’ Agenda about accounting for the life cycle carbon of infrastructure, which accompanied the roadmap. As we move forward, embracing low-carbon infrastructure will be essential to achieving global climate goals and ensuring sustainable development. Thank you to those who contributed to this piece, including Jennifer Taranto, Meghan Lewis, Jordan Palmeri, Lauren Alger, PE , Anthony Kane, ENV SP, Kira Gould and Lisa Chamberlain https://lnkd.in/e9ZU5wRJ I was also really pleased to participate in the Forum's G20 Smart Cities Task Force and contribute to the work of the task force last year, which included this Whole Life Carbon Assessment Mandates Model Policy?to help cities take a decisive step to reduce the carbon footprint of their built environment and reach their climate-neutrality and net-zero emissions targets. My colleagues at the Forum, C40 Cities and Infosys, did a tremendous job with distilling the essential elements into this model policy. https://lnkd.in/giqjXzE4 Dr. Anu Devi, Sarah Franklin, Cécile Faraud, André Aasrud, Madeline O'Dwyer, Nidhi Gulati, Joe Upjohn, MBA I look forward to the publishing of the recent efforts of the G20 Smart Cities Task Force soon. #BeyondTheBuilding Carbon Leadership Forum ASCE Infrastructure 2050