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The Built Environment: A Race Against Time to Achieve Net Zero

The construction industry is a major contributor to global warming, accounting for 37% of global energy-related CO2 emissions! This number is still rising, and we need to take drastic action to meet the UN's 1.5°C target.

This blog post explores the growing movement towards Whole Life Carbon (WLC) accounting and Chain of Custody (CoC) as a crucial tool to transform the built environment.

Why Whole Life Carbon & Chain of Custody is Essential

• Identify Carbon Footprints: WLC accounting takes into account the total emissions generated by a building throughout its entire lifespan, from construction to demolition. This allows us to pinpoint areas for improvement and make informed decisions about design and materials.
• Standardisation Needed: Currently, there's no global standard for WLC data collection. But PAS 2080 provides a framework that paves the way for industry-wide collaboration and better decision-making.
• Transparency is Key: Sharing WLC data fosters transparency and empowers project stakeholders to make sustainable choices. This can attract green financing and enhance a building's reputation.
• Cradle-to- Cradle Sourcing: In tandem with WLC, and robust Chain of Custody (CoC) system for building materials is essential. CoC tracks the materials throughout the supply chain, ensuring they are ethically sourced, contain recycled content, and have a low carbon footprint.

Challenges and Learnings

• Data Standardisation: Unifying data collection methods and establishing common metrics is critical for meaningful comparisons.
• Data Quality: Ensuring accurate data collection and interpretation is essential to draw reliable conclusions.
• Investment & Education: Shifting mindsets and integrating WLC into design workflows requires ongoing investment and education throughout the industry.

A Call to Action

The built environment sector has a crucial role to play in achieving net zero. By embracing WLC, implementing CoC systems for materials, and collaborating on data standardisation, we can significantly reduce the industry's carbon footprint. .

This blog post provides a high-level overview of the key points. Let me know if you'd like me to delve deeper into any specific aspects!

PAS 2080 https://www.ice.org.uk/media/vm0nwehp/2023-03-29-pas_2080_guidance_document_april_2023.pdf

Contact: Paul Foster @Auditel [email protected]