How to Scale Up High Impact Embodied Carbon Reductions through Projects and Policies
Take a deep dive into what three projects in the Northeast have done to minimize embodied carbon. The example projects have each taken different approaches: one project focused on concrete in an ICF building, one focused on envelope choices and how to meet Passive House requirements while reducing embodied carbon, and one used Life Cycle Assessment to decide between renovation and new construction for existing school buildings. After the case studies, hear about the range of embodied carbon policies in development in Boston, Cambridge, Newton, and across Massachusetts, and discuss policies that can be promoted by the green building community to accelerate change for materials we use to renovate and build.
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Marina 2
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Learning Objectives:
- Describe measures (both design and material choices) in a specific project to significantly reduce embodied carbon of building materials
- Analyze how performance-based specifications for concrete can provide low cost, high impact reductions in embodied carbon
- Discuss design team tools and decisions that can be made early to reduce embodied carbon and ensure construction administration decisions prioritize embodied carbon impact
- Explore policies in several US states and in Canada that have changed building practices and materials and identify approaches most likely to succeed in New England
