Six recommendations for tackling embodied carbon in new buildings

As the UK moves toward its 2050 net zero target, reducing embodied carbon is becoming increasingly critical.

The MHCLG (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government) has just published a highly anticipated report, which we were commissioned to prepare, on reducing these emissions in new buildings.

In this article, the project’s technical lead Kallum Desai and primary author Celine McLoughlin-Jenkins, share six recommendations from the research, which can be implemented to advance decarbonisation across the built environment.

There are significant opportunities to both measure and reduce embodied carbon across the built environment.  A new report, which examines those opportunities in depth, has just been published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

Prepared by AECOM, the report – The practical, technical and economic impacts of measuring and reducing embodied carbon in new buildings – contains recommended ways to strengthen regulations and drive effective carbon measurement and reduction in new buildings nationally. It also examines the current challenges in reducing embodied carbon and identifies opportunities to accelerate low-carbon construction. 

Here, we share six of the key recommendations presented in the report, which can be implemented to advance decarbonisation in the built environment sector. 

1/ Ensure consistency in carbon assessments and reporting metrics

Reducing embodied carbon requires clear, consistent ways to measure and compare emissions. Currently, differences in assessment methods and reporting mechanisms make it difficult to compare data, track progress and set reliable carbon reduction targets. 

To address this, we recommend developing a standardised modelling methodology alongside minimum reporting metrics. This would help to ensure carbon assessments follow a common approach across all stages of a building’s design and construction, improving the quality of carbon benchmarks and targets.  

By linking reporting requirements with carbon assessment datasets, we can create a streamlined, reliable system that strengthens decision-making and supports industry-wide decarbonisation. 

2/ Define competency for carbon assessors

Achieving consistency in carbon assessments also requires clear competency standards for assessors. Without a shared definition of what constitutes a qualified carbon assessor, variations in expertise can lead to inconsistent assessment results and unreliable data. 

We recommend establishing a universal definition of competency for carbon assessors to ensure assessments are conducted to the same high standard. This will not only improve the quality of carbon assessments but also increase confidence in carbon datasets and strengthen benchmarks and targets. 

3/ Create a centralised carbon database for UK building materials 

Accurate carbon assessments depend on comprehensive and consistent carbon datasets. These are typically either generic carbon datasets, comprising of industry average information, or datasets which include product-specific carbon data, such as Environmental Product Declarations (EPD). 

A central, open-access national dataset of generic material carbon data is therefore recommended. This would improve consistency of calculations greatly, thereby improving the reliability of carbon assessments and helping developers, designers, and contractors make informed decisions on decarbonisation.  

Any prospective dataset such as this should act to enable and encourage decarbonisation. This may include through setting generic carbon values based on the upper quartiles of product carbon data, thereby encouraging improvement through material selection. There is also the potential to learn from other nations on what this looks like, with Denmark, France and Germany all having their own product embodied carbon datasets.  

4/ Encourage the adoption of low-carbon practices

The adoption of low-carbon materials and technologies remains inconsistent across the industry. This can be addressed by reducing barriers to entry — both in undertaking carbon assessments and in supporting manufacturers to produce the carbon data needed to demonstrate performance. Streamlining the production of carbon data would also benefit innovative low carbon materials, enabling carbon results to be shown at reduced cost.  

To supplement this, we recommend collaboration with insurance markets to further understand and address specific challenges with innovative materials using lessons learned from the development of existing methods such as the Mass Timber Insurance Playbook. Additionally, mechanisms to incentivise lower carbon solutions through funding requirements should be investigated. 

5/ Strengthening policy and regulation 

Policy can play a crucial role in driving consistency in measuring and reducing embodied carbon across the construction industry. The report highlights both the challenges and opportunities within regulatory frameworks – from addressing uncertainty in carbon assessments and data, to supporting carbon reductions through the use of sustainable materials. 

By creating a regulatory environment that encourages innovation and supports sustainable approaches, policymakers can enable the widespread uptake of carbon reduction strategies and accelerate progress toward net zero goals. 

6/ Upskill and embed decarbonisation across the value chain

One major barrier to reducing embodied carbon is the skills gap in carbon assessments and low-carbon design. Without proper training, industry professionals lack the knowledge to integrate carbon reduction into projects effectively. 

Upskilling across the industry including architects, engineers and contractors is essential so that they can apply consistent assessment methods and adopt low-carbon practices. A trained workforce will not only improve carbon assessments but also embed decarbonisation across the construction value chain. 

Looking ahead: what this means for the industry 

Reducing embodied carbon in new buildings presents a significant opportunity for the construction industry to lead the UK’s net zero journey. By addressing inconsistencies in carbon assessments, enhancing skills and embedding low-carbon practices into projects, further carbon reductions can be unlocked, enabling meaningful change.  

While challenges remain, the construction industry is well-placed to adapt. The skills, technologies and strategies needed to accelerate embodied carbon reduction already exist, but consistency and collaboration between policymakers and industry professionals, will be key to ensuring they are deployed at scale. 

If the UK government were to implement these recommendations, businesses and the workforce would both likely see substantial benefits. This would not only create a better environment for innovation but also strengthen supply chain resilience, foster greater collaboration across the sector and generate green jobs – all of which are essential for building a low-carbon economy.