When you think about the carbon footprint of a building, you might think about how much energy it uses. But a building’s operation is only part of its carbon emissions story. The emissions generated from raw material extraction, manufacturing, transportation, construction and disposal of building materials are known as embodied carbon.

A recent study revealed that embodied carbon emissions from buildings account for roughly 11% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. Reducing these complex sourcing and supply chain emissions is an important strategy to address climate change.

Hear from experts in building decarbonization, sustainable building, and community engagement as we explore:

• What embodied carbon is and why it matters,
• Embodied carbon emission reduction strategies, and
• How to integrate or improve integration of equity into reduction efforts.

This free virtual event will be highly interactive with time for Q&A with panelists.

Register

Speakers

• Richard Graves, Associate Professor, Architecture; Research Director, Center for Sustainable Building Research, College of Design – University of Minnesota
• Marnese Jackson, Co-Director, Community Engagement and Equity – Midwest Building Decarbonization Coalition
• Beth Tomlinson, Carbon and Climate Discipline Leader, Buildings – Stantec

Who should attend

• Sustainability practitioners.
• Architects, builders, and engineers.
• State and local government staff.
• Elected officials.
• Anyone interested in reducing carbon emissions at their organization or in their community.

Related resources

• Embodied carbon: The hidden climate emissions from building materials (video) – Rocky Mountain Institute
• Embodied carbon 101 – Carbon Leadership Forum

The Sustainable Growth Coalition is a business-led partnership harnessing their expertise to equitably advance the circular economy. The coalition is convened by Environmental Initiative.