Our Approach to Embodied Carbon in Temporary Works
What is Embodied Carbon?
Embodied Carbon, also known as ‘life cycle embodied carbon’ is the total Green House Gas (GHG) emissions and removals associated with materials and construction processes throughout the whole life cycle of an asset.
Why is Embodied Carbon important?
- Around 40% of UK carbon emissions are linked to the built environment.*
- Construction activity accounts for around 50million tonnes of CO2 emissions, over half of which is linked to construction product and materials production.*
- Unlike operational carbon (from energy use), embodied carbon is locked in from the start and cannot be reduced later.
- To achieve Net Zero embodied carbon must be measured (so that it can be reduced).
* reference: PROMOTING NET ZERO CARBON AND SUSTAINABILITY IN CONSTRUCTION, gov.uk
How is Embodied Carbon measured?
Embodied Carbon is measured in kgCO2e.
This is the carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, often referred to as ‘carbon’ for short. This measure considers other greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) in addition to carbon dioxide (CO2), expressing them in terms of CO2 normalised by their global warming potential (GWP) over a 100-year timeframe.
When to calculate the Embodied Carbon in a project
As this image from PAS 2080 shows, at the start of a project the level of detail/data availability for calculating embodied carbon rises, but the ability to reduce it falls. There is a crossover “sweet spot” between optioneering and design – this is where we come in, and why we will show embodied carbon in all our quotes.
Because we reuse the same equipment over and over in many different ways, mabey hire sit as high up the waste hierarchy (shown here) as possible. The only thing better than re-using equipment like mabey hire do would be to not use anything at all. However – in most cases for temporary works that wouldn’t be a good option either. Often it would mean more permanent works (so more carbon overall) or less efficient excavations i.e. more benching, more plant, more excavated soil, etc.
Calculating Embodied Carbon in Temporary Works
Our approach to calculating the embodied carbon in our temporary works solutions can be read in detail here.
Our comprehensive approach provides customers with detailed insights into the environmental impacts of our temporary works solutions and allows comparison between different solution options.
By promoting sustainable practices, we enable our clients to benefit from embodied carbon data, empowering them to make informed decisions that align with industry standards and sustainability goals. This not only supports our customers in their efforts to reduce their carbon footprints but also contributes to the broader industry goal of fostering sustainable construction practices.
