What Is Whole Life Carbon?

Climate change is one of the biggest challenges our world faces today. The way we construct and use buildings has a significant impact on the environment. That’s where “Whole Life Carbon” and “Whole Life Carbon Assessment” come into play. But what do these terms mean, and why are they essential?

Whole Life Carbon (WLC) is a concept that describes the carbon involved in every aspect of the life of a building. This includes:

• raw materials used in construction;
• fuel for transportation;
• energy used by the building’s occupants;
• eventual decommissioning and destruction.

A Whole Life Carbon Assessment (WLCA) is the process of analysing the carbon each element of a building project produces. The assessment estimates these values for a 60-year period of the building’s life.

As well as assessing the Whole Life Carbon in a building project, it’s important to track the results. The result of a WLCA gives a single snapshot of a project’s sustainability. Tracking these results ensures you keep your project within its carbon budget. Do this with Carbon Tracking software that gives a view of all changes that occur as your building project progresses.

Understanding Whole Life Carbon (WLC)

When we look at Whole Life Carbon (WLC), we’re looking at the total amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions connected with a building throughout its life.

Whole Life Carbon represents the total carbon emissions generated by a building project. It begins with design and the materials proposed for construction. It includes construction and use, to its eventual demolition. WLC encompasses two primary categories of carbon emissions: embodied carbon and operational carbon.

Embodied Carbon

Embodied carbon refers to the carbon emissions from the materials and energy used during construction. It includes emissions from material extraction, manufacturing, transportation, and construction activities. Embodied carbon accounts for the upfront emissions tied to the construction phase.

Operational Carbon

Operational carbon refers to the carbon emissions generated during the building’s operational phase. This comprises carbon emissions from energy use for heating, cooling, lighting, and other systems. It also includes ongoing maintenance and repairs.

Whole Life Carbon is a holistic view of a building’s environmental impact. It adds embodied and operational carbon to look at the entire lifecycle, not only its construction.

The Whole Life Carbon Assessment (WLCA)

A Whole Life Carbon Assessment is a process for quantifying and analysing carbon emissions throughout the lifecycle of a building project. It involves several key steps.

Data Collection

The first step in a WLCA is gathering data related to the construction materials, energy use, and maintenance practices. This includes collecting information about:

the types of materials used and their carbon footprint; the expected operational energy consumption.

Boundary Definition

Setting the boundaries for the assessment is critical. This step determines which stages of a building’s life cycle to include in the assessment. A common approach is “cradle-to-grave”. This looks at the extraction of raw materials, manufacturing, transportation, construction, operation, and eventual demolition.

Data Analysis

The data analysis step processes the collected information, and quantifies carbon emissions. This step associates carbon values with each material and activity. These values based on established carbon accounting methods.

Sensitivity Analysis

The assessment performs sensitivity analysis to uncover uncertainties and variations in the data. This analysis looks at how changes in assumptions, variables, or methods may affect the assessment results. This provides a more thorough understanding of the data.

Reporting and Recommendations

The assessment documents WLCA results so sharing the results is clear and transparent. The report will show recommendations for reducing carbon emissions: the use of sustainable materials; energy-efficient designs; ongoing maintenance and operational improvements.

Why Whole Life Carbon Matters

Whole Life Carbon is a critical concept in the construction industry. Its importance has a bearing on how we will shape the built environment for the future.

Environmental Responsibility

WLC highlights the importance of environmental responsibility of construction projects. It addresses both upfront emissions (embodied carbon) and ongoing emissions (operational carbon).

Regulatory Compliance

In many regions, regulations and certifications such as LEED and BREEAM need a focus on sustainability and carbon reduction. WLCA helps projects meet these standards.

Long-Term Cost Savings

Reducing operational carbon emissions often leads to lower energy bills and operational costs over the building’s lifetime.

Climate Change Mitigation

Whole Life Carbon assessment and reduction are integral to global efforts to mitigate climate change and limit global warming.

Market Competitiveness

Sustainable construction practices, including WLC, make properties more appealing to environmentally-conscious clients, tenants, and investors.

Conclusion

Whole Life Carbon Assessments are an important tool to promote sustainable construction, and reduce the environmental impact of the built environment. The concept of Whole Life Carbon contributes to a more sustainable, and responsible, approach to construction and development in the face of global environmental challenges.