Whole Life Carbon

Following COP26 reducing carbon emissions is now more important than ever. The UK Green Building Council estimates that the built environment contributes around 40% of the UK’s total carbon footprint. These carbon emissions are attributed to both operational omissions and embodied emissions. Operation emissions concern the everyday running of a building while embodied emissions arise from producing, procuring, and installing the materials and components that make up the building.

Until recently the built environment industry has been mainly concerned with reduction of operational omissions, with embodied carbon being disregarded. However, as built systems have become more efficient in use and the electrical grid is increasingly decarbonising (towards renewables) embodied carbon has become a significant part of a building’s carbon footprint (see adjacent pie charts).

To understand a building project’s total carbon impact a whole life approach, including both embodied and operational carbon emissions, is required.

Our Assessments

Our assessments are produced in accordance with the RICS guidance (following EN 15978: 2011). As such they are suitable for planning applications for which the GLA or local authorities require Whole Life-Cycle Carbon Assessments. The assessment uses the Once Click LCA software to calculate emissions over all Whole Life Carbon Modules A-D. The modules cover (A) Products and Construction, through (B) Use, and on to (C) End of life and (D) material Reuse and Recovery. Note assessments also include in-house SAP calculations to establish operational energy use.

Lead Designer vs Specialist Assessor

As lead designers on our projects, we are best placed to utilise these assessments, working fluidly between design and carbon modelling to offer the most effective carbon reductions to projects.

Reductions and Offsetting

As well as suggesting design and material adjustment to reduce embodied carbon we can also offer an estimated offsetting cost (for offsetting either upfront carbon emissions up to practical completion or estimated emissions over the whole life of the building).

In a recent project in Somerset, we went a step further and designed a pair of Double Zero Carbon houses: zero embodied carbon and zero operational carbon. Operational carbon was reduced to zero through on-site renewable energy production. The remaining embodied carbon emissions is offset through local woodland planning. Here we calculated that an area of 1,600m² will be required to plant the 128 trees needed to offest the emissions.

For a quote call us on 020 7600 0930 or email design@urbanmesh.com