{"id":11984,"date":"2019-12-05T14:05:27","date_gmt":"2019-12-05T03:05:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edgeenvironment.com\/?p=11984"},"modified":"2019-12-05T15:09:28","modified_gmt":"2019-12-05T04:09:28","slug":"embodied-carbon-the-next-frontier-for-mitigation-and-what-to-do-about-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edgeenvironment.com\/us\/2019\/12\/05\/embodied-carbon-the-next-frontier-for-mitigation-and-what-to-do-about-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Embodied carbon: the next frontier for mitigation, and what to do about it"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Embodied carbon<\/span><\/i> is a term that up until now has generally been poorly understood, and its importance has been severely underestimated. This is starting to change and is good news for not just the environment, but for businesses and consumers alike. Before we explain why, let\u2019s first discuss what embodied carbon is.<\/span><\/p>\n

At home, many of us are already trying to make better choices for the environment, but embodied impacts associated with our decisions aren\u2019t always clear. For example, an electric car might be a clear winner in terms of CO<\/span>2<\/span> emission per kilometre, but how important are the impacts associated with producing the battery that runs the car?<\/span><\/p>\n

A day-to-day example comes at the coffee shop. Is it better to drink from a compostable cup or a KeepCup<\/a><\/span>? Should your go-to dairy substitute be almond milk or soy<\/a><\/span>? These kinds of questions are becoming more and more commonplace, particularly as public concerns over the \u201cclimate emergency\u201d take root.<\/span><\/p>\n

Property taking the lead<\/b><\/p>\n

How are companies responding? Well, many corporates have a good story to tell about their emissions related to energy use and have long-since promoted their achievements in that area. But with those emissions rapidly decreasing, the focus is quickly turning to <\/span>Scope 3<\/span>, which covers the indirect emissions elsewhere in companies\u2019 value chains. This includes the embodied emissions associated with the goods and services that they sell.<\/span><\/p>\n

Historically businesses have been wary of addressing embodied impacts as they\u2019ve largely been regarded as outside organisations\u2019 control. But, if we take a look at those businesses that have already embraced the concept of embodied carbon, we find there can be a very positive story to tell for both the environment and the businesses themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the best local examples is in Australia\u2019s property sector. Thanks to Green Star, whole building life-cycle assessment (LCA) has become an integral part of sustainability for buildings, and established routes through which embodied and operational impacts can be considered in tandem. As a result, property and construction companies are increasingly collaborating with steel, concrete and other building product manufacturers to ask for low or even zero carbon products. More recently, this trend has been accelerated as a result of a number of leading property companies committing to Scope 3 reductions as part of their Science Based Targets. <\/span><\/p>\n

Carbon footprinting and LCA gaining an increasing foothold elsewhere<\/b><\/p>\n

Outside of the property sector the profile of embodied emissions is also accelerating. In recent years we\u2019ve witnessed an exponential increase in the number of companies looking to identify carbon hotspots in their supply chains using techniques like carbon footprint analysis or <\/span>life-cycle assessment<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, making use of these tools we\u2019ve helped a <\/span>brewery client identify opportunities to cut their footprint through a focus on packaging materials<\/span><\/a> and explored the potential impacts of food producers switching to lower-carbon sources of feed for their animals. Meanwhile, we\u2019re currently working with a clothing brand to uncover how different textile mixes and manufacturing practices could help them reduce their emissions.<\/span><\/p>\n

These projects speak to a growing recognition that tackling embodied carbon can actually provide significant business opportunities, whether from meeting increasing customer demand, reducing short-term supply chain costs, or mitigating longer-term climate risks. <\/span><\/p>\n

Top tips for tackling embodied carbon in your business<\/b><\/p>\n

So, if your company wants to tackle its embodied emissions,  what should it be doing?<\/span><\/p>\n