Architects can help clients to understand the cumulative environmental impact of their choices by assessing the environmental performance of their buildings throughout their entire lifecycle – including both embodied and operational carbon.
Whole Life Carbon – the total carbon emissions associated with a built asset throughout its entire lifecycle – can be calculated using stages defined by European standards EN 15978 and EN 15804. These stages are:- A (creating and assembling materials), B (in use), C (end of life) and D (beyond end of life).
The research indicates that there are three main transitions that the construction industry must go through to achieve Net Zero Whole Life Carbon (Stages A – D) .
Initial gains can be made by transitioning materials to lower embodied carbon options. There are a variety of solutions available on the market and natural materials with low energy fabrication processes present viable alternatives in most cases. Mainstreaming the use of these, in tandem with design efficiency, will increase availability and reduce cost.
The second transition will see a move to circular construction. All lifecycle methodologies agree that inorganic materials are either sent to landfill, or undergo energy intensive recycling processes, they are not reclaimed and reused. Current lifecycle analysis assumes that at end of life (stages C1-4) most organic materials release their carbon back to the atmosphere. This means that the carbon sequestered into the material at stages A1-3 is released back into the atmosphere in stages C1-4. This provides the imperative to plan for and action the reuse of materials.
ABC’s own life cycle analysis indicates that, to achieve true net zero, the entire construction industry must become circular. To achieve this next step, and to reduce embodied carbon, the construction industry must shift their focus from recycling to reclamation for reuse. We must minimise disposal at Stage C4 and make full use of stage D (beyond end of life in our lifecycle analysis).
