February 24, 2020

What can we do about embodied carbon?

Canadian Architect magazine has been tracking reader interest in embodied carbon and asked us to put together a detailed article, which was published in the February 2020 issue.

In the article we briefly explain embodied carbon and life cycle assessment (LCA is the tool for measuring embodied carbon, which is simply global warming potential, or GWP – one of the key outputs in an LCA study).

Then we discuss pathways to verifiably reduce embodied carbon in new construction, recognizing the complex multidimensional nature of the problem. As Richard Hammond, principal at London, Ontario-based Cornerstone Architecture, puts it, “There is no single solution, and progress needs to come from a confluence of economic, social and technical initiatives.”

We provide detailed examples from the field along with commentary from multiple voices in the value chain, including product manufacturers and design professionals.

Download the article in PDF from our web site or read the article on-line at Canadian Architect.