Sustainability E-News
Carbon Accounting
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From The Editor
As I pulled together the articles for this edition, it was easy to see that carbon accounting will continue to be a hot topic for the foreseeable future. One reason is that there is understandably much interest in lowering the embodied carbon in our built environment, and so there is a lot of activity related to that. However, another reason is the fact that how exactly we account for the carbon impacts of our built environment is not entirely settled. Much remains to be done in terms of having consensus on how things are defined, understanding the limitations of the data we do have, and learning more in certain areas where data and understanding are lacking. This is especially the case with biogenic carbon. As the editor of Modern Steel Construction pointed out in his recent editorial, assuming wood only sequesters carbon is simplistic and ignores the carbon emitted from wood waste and at the end of its life. Overall, carbon accounting is complicated. You can read more about activity in each of these areas in the articles below.
Christine "Tina" Subasic, PE, LEED AP
CSubasicPE@gmail.com
NOTE: Inclusion in this newsletter is not an endorsement of the products and materials featured, nor have these products been evaluated by TMS or the editor. Furthermore, the views expressed in the articles featured are those of the article authors.
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GREEN BUILDING NEWS
I've included a couple of articles from atypical sources as they both provide insights into issues applicable to the construction industry as a whole. ~Tina
Buying Green
MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION
The desire for “clean” building materials is on the rise. Buy Clean programs are now in place in California, Colorado, and Oregon, and clean material requirements for federal projects will be a significant part of the federal government’s efforts to address climate change. Other states, such as Washington, Minnesota, and New York, are also considering some version of Buy Clean legislation or implementing pilot programs. Buy Clean-type requirements are included in LEED V4.1 and are being considered for inclusion in standards such as the International Green Construction Code. They are increasingly showing up in the specifications of private sector design firms. So what is Buy Clean? In its most basic form, Buy Clean requires that the embodied carbon, measured in tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per ton of steel, associated with the production of structural steel does not exceed a prescribed threshold set by the jurisdiction or project owner. Read more.
Consumer Brands urges FTC to explain climate terms
FOOD NAVIGATOR USA
The Consumer Brands Association is asking the Federal Trade Commission to work with other federal agencies and the Environmental Working Group to apply scientific methodologies to claims such as "net zero" and "carbon negative" to avoid misleading use. Growing consumer concerns about climate and increasing industry action necessitate the updates, Consumer Brands explains in this article.
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CODES and STANDARDS NEWS
ASHRAE has been busy developing a variety of standards related to carbon emissions and net-zero energy use. Standardization is definitely needed in these areas, as is consensus on definitions. ~Tina
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New ASHRAE/ICC Standard 240 on carbon emissions
BUILDING ENCLOSURE
In this podcast, Ryan Colker, Vice President of Innovation for the International Code Council, talks about how the ICC and ASHRAE have joined in the development of a standard to assess carbon emissions across the entire building life cycle. To examine the advisory public review draft of Standard 240 or submit comments, visit the ASHRAE standards website and search for Standard 240 during the 30-Day Public Review Period from April 21 to May 21, 2023.
ASHRAE rolls out first net-zero building standard
ASHRAE
ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 228-2023, Standard Method of Evaluating Zero Net Energy and Zero Net Carbon Building Performance, sets requirements for evaluating whether a building or group of buildings meets a definition of “zero net energy” or a definition of “zero net carbon” during building operation. The standard draws from ASHRAE Standard 105, among others, to address energy and carbon flows across a site boundary, their measurement, and their balance. Read more.
Emission omissions: Carbon accounting gaps in the built environment
IISD
Explaining nuances involved in comparing life cycle assessments and EPDs can be challenging. This report from The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) does a great job of pointing out some of the pitfalls that should be considered in developing codes, standards, and regulations for decarbonization. “LCA is the right approach, but more data, transparency, and robust standards are needed, especially with respect to biogenic carbon.”
April 2023 LEED for Homes Addenda
USGBC
LEED for Homes project designers should review the new interpretations and international tips. The addenda delivered new LEED Interpretations, updates to former rulings, and several Reference Guide corrections focused on LEED for Homes. Several updates to pilot credits are also included.
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GREEN PRODUCT NEWS
The new materials baseline report from the Carbon Leadership Forum provides a detailed explanation of the embodied carbon data. Pages 5-6 of the report have a good explanation of EPDs and comparability limitations. Notably the only masonry included is concrete masonry produced in Canada. ~Tina
The truth about mass timber and carbon
DEZEEN
Mass timber's reputation as the go-to low-carbon construction material is a problematic oversimplification that is leading to greenwashing, says carbon expert Amy Leedham in this Timber Revolution interview. "We're seeing a little bit of oversimplification and glorification of mass timber," said Leedham, who is carbon lead at engineering consultancy Atelier Ten. She notes timber can have lower embodied carbon but that's not always the case. Often several factors are overlooked, such as the carbon footprint of other materials used to construct wooden buildings, including the interior finishes.
Carbon Leadership Forum publishes material baselines
CARBON LEADERSHIP FORUM
The CLF Baseline values represent an estimate of industry-average GHG emissions for construction materials manufactured in North America. An overwhelming majority of the CLF Baselines published in the report are based on a North American industry-wide EPD. Each material category has a detailed Appendix that includes a description of the embodied carbon impacts, the available EPDs, and summary statistics. The Appendices allow users to better understand the availability of existing industry-wide and product EPDs, and the variability of product types across a category. Learn more here.
Biogenic carbon explained
BUILDING ENCLOSURE ONLINE
If we take the ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) definition, biogenic carbon is "produced in natural processes by living organisms but not fossilized or derived from fossil resources," according to this article. Stated differently, biogenic carbon is "stored" in all living or recently living organisms from plants to animals to microorganisms. As such, it is an indispensable part of the carbon cycle. When building design and construction teams are assessing the embodied carbon of a project, it is important to clarify whether or not biogenic carbon is taken into account.
Holcim participates in federal Better Climate Challenge
GLOBAL CEMENT
In an effort to reduce CO2 emissions and energy consumption, Holcim US is participating in the Energy Department's Better Climate Challenge. Holcim is the first cement producer to join the program and plans to fully power its 13 US cement plants' electrical needs with renewable energy by 2030 and is contributing to the Better Climate Challenge with a commitment to cut CO2 emissions by 25% by 2033. Read more here.
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EDUCATIONAL NEWS
Register now for The Masonry Society Spring Meeting
THE MASONRY SOCIETY
TMS will be hosting its 2023 Spring business and committee meetings, at the Marriott Omaha Downtown Capitol District Hotel on June 9-11, immediately prior to the 14NAMC. Preliminary information on the meetings and a tentative schedule are posted here. If you are planning to attend only the Spring Meetings, click here to register. If you plan to attend the 14NAMC, your TMS meeting registration will be included in your NAMC registration.
14th North American Masonry Conference
THE MASONRY SOCIETY
The 14th North American Masonry Conference (14NAMC) will be held June 11-14, 2023, in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. The conference will be jointly hosted by the Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) and the Nebraska Masonry Alliance (NMA), and will be sponsored by The Masonry Society (TMS). The conference will feature more than 100 technical presentations, several keynote addresses, innovative learning sessions, and student competitions. For more information, visit the conference website.
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