The Carbon Disconnect
Targeting 39% of Carbon Emissions
A major contributor to global warming is carbon emissions; 39% of which is produced by buildings – the structures that we, as architects, design, plan and develop. There are two different types of carbon emission: operational and embodied. Operational carbon are the emissions associated with the energy used to operate the building, while embodied carbon is related to the materials and construction processes of the building itself (*Below is data interpreted from Embodied Carbon diagram by Carbon Leadership Forum).
With an ever increasing need for housing, municipalities, developers and architects all have roles to play in finding a better way to meet this demand while considering the carbon emissions produced in their construction:
- Municipalities across Ontario are implementing incrementally stringent requirements and passing legislation on carbon emissions requiring builders to comply with a “carbon cap”.
- Developers are implementing their own corporate objectives of decarbonization across their portfolio, developing aggressive targets of 25-50% reduction of embodied carbon to their baseline.
With these restrictions in place, how are architects addressing carbon reductions in their work? Our industry has been focused on two methodologies for carbon reduction: design-based and broad-stroke strategies. Architectural modifications in form and mass to limit terracing, relocation of programs (specifically underground parking), and creating a more solid façade through the reduction of openings, are but a few examples of carbon reduction through design. Substitutions to low carbon concrete or mass timber are the quick and easy examples of broad-stroke strategies.
While both methodologies reduce carbon, do they address the root of the problem or simple use less of the status quo? If we are to truly address the reduction of embodied carbon within our buildings in a more holistic way, we must be more critical in our approach to decarbonizing our buildings, and that is through what we call a Specification-Based Strategy.
Quantifying our Specifications
A Specification-Based Strategy results in a quantifiable carbon assessment a project, providing accurate information for input to create the baseline metric of your building, as well as the output as it relates to the true value of carbon emission reduction. The specification approach ensures every material is accounted for. Through this strategy, KIRKOR would be able to create a fully decarbonized set of specifications in addition to the standard for which we can offer to our clients who have corporate objectives to decarbonize their portfolio. We intend for this decarbonized specification to soon replace the baseline spec and subsequently be used for all projects moving forward.
To further investigate our specifications, we retained a team of consultants (BBS & Ha/f Climate Design) last year to:
- Determine and measure the Global Warming potential (GWP), or unit of carbon emission, of every product used within our baseline specification, and;
- To vet out low carbon alternatives for our decarbonized specification
The results of this complex exercise revealed far more than originally anticipated. The team’s analysis exposed a concerning lack of carbon data for products used in projects every day. Over 70% of products did not have an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) to be able to quantify the GWP value found within every section and division of the specification. Moreover, the majority of the low carbon alternatives traditionally recommended to reduce embodied carbon in projects were non-compliant for use in Canada, thus limiting product selection for the construction of a decarbonized building.
Addressing the Carbon Disconnect
Our insight led us to look beyond the typical carbon reduction strategies in our industry, proving how critical it is to target emissions through our specifications. Advancing our efforts by collaborating with the expertise of our consultant team, we have a clearer perception of the challenges ahead. The research revealed what KIRKOR calls a ‘Carbon Disconnect’, raising the question: have decarbonization goals been enacted with a full understanding of the present information gaps, and how do we address them?
In order to create impactful change, and take action now, we are focusing on education and advocacy to:
- Encourage industry to create EPD’s for their products to better quantify the embodied carbon value of a building;
- Impress upon the industry the importance to have their products tested and approved for use in Canada so as to increase competition for lower carbon materials and technology
- Ask Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ’s) and developers to help facilitate industry change through leadership and collaboration
This is the beginning of KIRKOR’s Carbon Coalition.
Author: Lara Gumushdjian, KIRKOR’s Director of Sustainability
