How do you solve a problem like embodied carbon?

When it comes to delivering new buildings, the real estate sector is pushing hard on net zero carbon. As the UK races towards a target of being net zero by 2050, the built environment has largely got its head around operational carbon. But what about embodied carbon? The industry understands what it is, mostly, but does it know how to manage it and is the sector working hard enough to keep it under control? According to an RICS report, Decarbonising UK real estate: Recommendations for policy reform, released early this month, that answer is no. But there is a path for the sector to follow. Owing to a move away from coal as a prime source of energy, operational emissions have been declining since the 1990s. The same cannot be said for embodied emissions, which remain pretty stable. And while we may not have to reduce embodied emissions by quite as much as operational (85% versus 95%) to reach net zero by 2050, there is still a huge amount of work to do. The role of the built environment in emitting carbon is a story well told. The sector is well aware of its impact on the environment and its need to take action. And while it can lead – and some would say it is – a road map to help understand the impact of embodied carbon and to reduce it is vital if the sector is going to deliver. Regulatory void The biggest issue facing the sector is that there is no regulation around embodied carbon. Emissions are neither controlled nor measured, meaning there is very little understanding of how much carbon is actually embodied in buildings, let alone any incentives to reduce it.  If the UK wants to deliver its ambitious national decarbonisation targets, says the RICS, the opportunity to reduce embodied emission in buildings cannot be missed. To do this, the RICS is calling for an embodied carbon requirement to be inserted into a new section of the Building Regulations, government to implement the RICS standard Whole life carbon assessment for the built environment as a national methodology and embodied carbon assessments to be conducted on buildings larger than 1,000 sq m or 10 dwelling units from 2025, and on all buildings from 2030. It also wants to see maximum limits on embodied carbon introduced at both design stage and post completion and a built environment carbon database established to become an official repository of whole-life carbon assessment data. “Crucial changes need to be made in the way that carbon output is tracked in the UK’s built environment,” says Fabrizio Varriale, place and space analyst at the RICS. “This is an opportunity to radically shake up the sector and place it at the forefront of the UK’s carbon reduction initiatives by advancing a scientifically focused and data-driven sector that swiftly reacts and implements the changes needed to meet carbon output goals.” How to reduce embodied carbon The RICS proposes that by following a set of guidelines at difference stages of the development cycle, the UK real estate sector can work towards reducing its embodied carbon emissions by the required 85% by 2050. Introduce thresholds for embodied carbon for planning applications At design stage, ensure material usage is minimised and materials with low embodied carbon are selected for use Minimise waste materials and energy during construction by prioritising low-carbon energy sources for on-site works Be mindful of embodied emissions during the maintenance stage, looking after materials and services and choosing low-carbon replacements where necessary When retrofitting, think carefully about your redesign and how you can minimise waste and use low-carbon energy sources  When it comes to getting rid of a building, think deconstruction, not demolition. What building materials can you reuse or recycle, rather than send to landfill? To send feedback, e-mail newsdesk@eg.co.uk or tweet @EGPropertyNews Photo © Syaibatul Hamdi/Pixabay