This report was published by The Atmospheric Fund (TAF) in November 2022. The building sector is now considering the embodied carbon in the net zero objectives. The vast majority of embodied emissions from new construction typically come from the procurement of a handful of key materials. These typically are concrete, steel, insulation, and timber. This primer has been created for policymakers and other decision-makers – including owners, designers, engineers, procurement officers, and other stakeholders who decide what we build as a society. The primer includes background information on embodied emissions (also called embodied carbon), benchmarks from 41 large buildings across Ontario, proposed reduction targets, and policy recommendations with sample language and reporting templates. It also notes several knowledge gaps and barriers the industry will need to overcome to effectively reduce embodied emissions in the years ahead – reductions needed to meet our climate targets. The topics covered can generally be applied to most buildings and/or infrastructure projects, however, the specific focus is related to large-scale “Part-3” buildings in Ontario.

Keywords: Architecture/Engineering, Climate Change, Construction/New Buildings, Protocols/Standards, Embodied Carbon, Athena software, One Click LCA, TAF, Mantle Developments