Building Transparency’s premier technology solution is the Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3).
This tool houses a database of digital, third-party verified Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), which can be used to perform sustainability benchmarking and assessments.
This is particularly useful to construction material procurers, developers, contractors and policymakers alike. By being able to measure the amount of embodied carbon within production materials, these stakeholders are empowered to evaluate a project’s overall carbon emissions and utilise that information to procure low carbon material alternatives.
In the of regulators, set embodied carbon limits. Measures that will ensure the industry’s compliance, adherence to Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) sustainable building practices. Through the sponsorship of various entities, such as RIB, Building Transparency’s EC3 tool remains free to use.
The statistics paint an unflattering picture of the AEC industry’s impact on the environment. Research has uncovered that an estimated 38% of global energy consumption can be attributed to building and construction activities.
While the processing of materials such as concrete is believed to contribute to as much as six percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. The high amounts of material waste that occur within the industry along with the need to rework construction structures adds to the inefficiencies.
Working in a sustainable manner is critical to the future prosperity of the world. The continued disregard for the negative, potentially disastrous effects of greenhouse-gas emissions, pollutants and other environmentally unsafe practices must be addressed.
As the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report revealed, we are at a code red for humanity. Our collective efforts should be geared towards choosing a path of action that avoids a climate catastrophe.
Andrew Skudder, Rib chief revenue officer, says the partnership with Building Transparency aligns closely with Rib’s purpose of “enabling our customers to build in an environmentally and socially responsible manner”.
“We cannot shy away from the fact that the long-term growth of the AEC industry is closely tied to sustainable practices. Transforming the way the sector plans, builds and operates buildings is our primary purpose,” Skudder concludes.
