Subscribe to Newsletter
  • ACQUIRE

logo

  • Energy
  • Construction
  • Resources
  • Trending
  • Business Insight
  • Events
  • Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Home
  • Home
  • Energy
  • Construction
  • Resources
  • Trending
  • Business Insight
  • Events
  • Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Contact

A national environmental impact standard to measure embodied carbon

22 Jun, 2022
embodied carbon



The building industry is working towards a national framework for a total embodied carbon rating system to measure the environmental impact of a building.

This is a welcome move that will provide clarity for manufacturers to offer architects and engineers. There are four standards commonly used and many stop measuring impact at the building site – the ‘cradle to the gate’ measure.

Over a 50-year lifecycle, nearly 90 per cent of a building’s emissions are generated by operational functions –primarily heating and cooling.

Elizabeth McIntyre, CEO of of Think Brick Australia, said it’s vital to include these emissions in an environmental impact analysis.

“In developing a national standard, are we looking at the whole picture?”

“To bring the current impact measures into a uniform, national standard, we can go further than the variations of traditional lifecycle assessments currently in use.

“The standards commonly in use in Australia take a ‘cradle to gate’ approach, only measuring the environmental impact of building materials during product extraction and manufacture. Others take the ‘cradle to the grave’ approach – including raw materials, water, energy in production, and waste and emissions.

“This is where many standards end. Think Brick Australia has invested research into understanding the total lifecycle assessment. This measures the effects of the material’s use in construction, maintenance, and disposal, and it measures the environmental effect of operational emissions from living in a building.”

Think Brick Australia has been investigating the total lifecycle of building materials since instigating the brick industry’s first broad-scale, peer-reviewed research in 2008. A total LCA can measure operational and embodied emissions for a complete picture into the energy efficiency and environmental impacts of buildings.

Related Articles

Industrial Environmental Services

Industrial Environmental

International Built Environment Week (IBEW)

Net Zeo Construction Summit

Net Zero Construction Summit

Stormtech

Comments

Leave a comment Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Breaking

  • Energy
  • Construction
  • Resources
09 Jun

AEMO’s distribution focus enables community participation

06 Jun

Report shows 20 million gained energy access in 2024

06 Jun

Kulak Solar Village is Iraq’s first off-grid community

06 Jun

5B receives $46 million to expand manufacturing

06 Jun

EnergyAustralia admits offsets do not undo harm

12 Jun

Cumberland celebrates planting its 1,000th tree

10 Jun

Stantec helps New Epping achieve sustainability excellence

09 Jun

RMIT engineers transform low-grade clay into cement

09 Jun

Perth’s urban tree canopy saw slight increase in 2024

30 May

Green homes now mainstream Australian property priority

09 Jun

Australia’s hydrogen certification framework faces scrutiny

09 Jun

Biofuel demand outpaces supply, risking shortages

28 May

Major contract awarded for methanol facility in UAE

27 May

Archaeologist accuses WA government of North West Shelf cover-up

13 May

Queensland resources sector drives energy transition

  • BATTERY ASSET MANAGEMENT SUMMIT

Online Magazine

    Current Cover
  • Login
  • Subscribe

Subscribe

Subscribe to Newsletter

Our Titles

  • Share on Newsletter
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
© Sage Media Group 2025 All Rights Reserved.
×
Authorization
  • Registration
 This feature has been disabled
 This feature has been disabled until further notice, however you may still register
×
Registration
  • Autorization
Register
* All fields required