COMMENT The conversation around sustainability in the real estate industry has suffered from tunnel vision. Yes, energy efficiency and green initiatives are vital, but these are well documented. Embodied and operational carbon in buildings also require the industry’s critical attention. A change in scope is not a choice, but a necessity in the fight against climate change.
Operational carbon emissions, which result from the use of buildings, form a significant but too often ignored part of the carbon footprint of real estate. The International Energy Agency has set out that energy efficiency improvements in buildings could lead to a 30% reduction in the sector’s emissions by 2030.
This highlights the importance of not only designing energy-efficient buildings, but also integrating renewable energy sources such as photovoltaic systems. Operational efficiency is not just a buzzword: it is an imperative for sustainability.
Embodied carbon, on the other hand, represents the carbon footprint of materials and construction processes throughout a building’s lifecycle. Here, the industry has looked the other way. But the alarm bells are ringing. The World Green Building Council predicts that embodied carbon will account for nearly half of all new construction emissions by 2050. This underscores the urgency of this issue.
Making the switch
We must investigate how we build. Switching to low-carbon materials and sustainable construction methods is essential.
A whole-life carbon assessment brings these two aspects of carbon in the built environment together. It offers a comprehensive evaluation of a building’s carbon footprint over its entire lifecycle, including maintenance, renovations and even end-of-life considerations.
The WLCA completed as part of Silbury House’s refurbishment, one of our most modern sustainability projects located in Milton Keynes, identified key materials with the highest global warming potential, allowing for targeted carbon savings.
The breakdown in the assessment revealed that while operational energy emissions constituted a whopping 78.5% of CO2 emissions, embodied carbon from new materials used in refurbishments was also significant, accounting for approximately 7.15%.
This assessment is vital for informing sustainable building practices. By focusing on both operational and embodied carbon, we can significantly reduce the overall carbon footprint of buildings. The case of Silbury House also demonstrates that through the strategic and careful selection of materials, and their reuse where applicable, significant reductions in CO2 emissions can be achieved.
Moreover, the role of renewable energy in reducing operational carbon is undeniable. The addition of PV panels, for instance, will save tonnes of carbon emissions over the lifespan of the building. Interventions such as these will help the industry to align with the broader goal of achieving LETI 2050 targets for buildings, which has been identified as a key step towards meeting the objectives of the Paris Agreement.
Built for change
Real estate must take a holistic approach to sustainability. This involves not only designing energy-efficient buildings but also considering the entire lifecycle of construction materials and all processes. By focusing on both embodied and operational carbon, we can make buildings more sustainable, resilient and adaptable to future climate conditions and regulations.
We have found whole life carbon assessments are essential in this journey, providing a comprehensive and practical understanding of a building’s environmental impact and guiding us towards more sustainable practices.
As we move forward, the integration of these considerations in the design and construction process should pave the way for a more sustainable future in the real estate industry.
Ana Bajri is head of sustainability at RO Group
