Our planet is at an inflection point, and now, more than ever, industry leaders must consider their carbon impact to help make progress toward global climate targets. One critical area of focus is the built environment, which is responsible for 42% of annual global carbon emissions. While awareness of the built environment’s carbon impact continues to increase and progress is being made among the AEC industry to address its emissions, there is still room for improvement.
Climate policy, including Buy Clean initiatives, is pivotal in addressing the monumental impact of embodied carbon within the AEC sector and driving further decarbonization. Let’s take a look at what Buy Clean policies entail and how Building Transparency offers support.
The Importance of Embodied Carbon Policy
Construction materials generate a huge portion of annual global emissions, presenting an opportunity for the sector to reduce these emissions through low-carbon material specification. Industry leaders must understand the different types of policies that focus on material procurement and the terms they must follow to remain compliant, especially as it relates to carbon emissions.
Buy Clean policy is designed to mitigate the environmental impact of construction by promoting low-carbon purchasing decisions in government projects. This policy targets embodied carbon, which is the greenhouse gas emissions produced during the manufacture, transportation, and assembly of building materials. By mandating low-carbon procurement, Buy Clean policies aim to reduce these emissions significantly and support broader climate goals.
Building Transparency’s Role
Our organization is at the forefront of supporting the development and implementation of embodied carbon policies, including both Buy Clean and other product related procurement policies as well as other whole building project related polices. We offer expertise in low-carbon procurement requirements and leverage data from our tools to inform standards.
Our Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3) tool allows policymakers to assess supply chain data in order to create Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) requirements and set embodied carbon thresholds and reductions at the construction material and project scale.
It can also help project teams find and source building products and materials that align with policy requirements. For example, EC3 has a filter for Buy Clean California, CALGreen, Buy Clean Colorado as well as the GSA and FEMA IRA thresholds to help users identify EPDs that comply with the global warming potential (GWP) limits established by the policy.
Local and State Efforts
Embodied carbon policy initiatives extend beyond the federal level, with local and state policies gaining momentum. These policies are being introduced to incentivize low-carbon procurement decisions, fostering a culture of sustainability within the construction industry.
Several states have either introduced or enacted procurement-related policies, showcasing a growing commitment to reducing embodied carbon emissions. These initiatives highlight the importance of localized efforts in reaching national and global climate goals. The below list features various states that have taken significant steps in this direction, underscoring the widespread recognition of the need for low-carbon procurement.
- California
- Colorado
- Illinois
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- New Jersey
- New York
- Washington
The Carbon Leadership Forum’s Embodied Carbon Policy tracking map includes a complete list of policies spreading across the US and the world.
The Future of Low-Carbon Construction
The advancement of embodied carbon focused policies and the tools provided by Building Transparency are instrumental in shaping a sustainable future for the construction industry. As more and more federal, state, and local climate policies continue to crop up, the collective impact on reducing embodied carbon emissions will be substantial. Building Transparency’s ongoing support and innovative solutions will continue to play a pivotal role in this transformation.