What is "Embodied decarbonisation"

[Sparty]

Embodied decarbonisation refers to reducing the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the entire lifecycle of a building or infrastructure project, specifically focusing on the embodied carbon.

Embodied carbon is the total amount of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emitted during the various stages of a building's ( or products eg car life, ) excluding the emissions from its operation. This includes:

Material extraction and processing: Acquiring raw materials like steel, concrete, and timber, and transforming them into usable building components.
Transportation: Moving these materials to the construction site.
Construction: The activities on-site that assemble the building.
Maintenance and repair: Upkeep throughout the building's lifespan.
Demolition and disposal: Tearing down the building and managing the resulting waste.
By contrast, operational carbon refers to the emissions generated during the use of the building, such as heating, cooling, and lighting.

Embodied decarbonisation has become increasingly important because:

Growing awareness: As efforts to reduce operational carbon emissions progress, embodied carbon becomes a relatively larger portion of a building's overall footprint.
Locked-in impact: Unlike operational emissions, which can be addressed during operation, embodied emissions are essentially set during construction and cannot be easily reduced later.
Here are some strategies for embodied decarbonisation:

Using low-carbon materials: Specifying building components with a lower carbon footprint, such as recycled steel, sustainably harvested wood, or concrete with captured carbon technologies.
Design for efficiency: Minimizing the amount of material needed through smart design and space optimization.
Reusing and recycling: Incorporating salvaged materials or demolition debris from other projects.
By implementing embodied decarbonisation strategies, the construction industry can significantly contribute to achieving net-zero emission targets.