Catch the Wave: Low Embodied Carbon Construction Materials Taking Off

On August 15, 2024, Third Way hosted a webinar on the growing market for low embodied carbon (LEC) construction materials. This webinar was geared towards current and future suppliers of these materials as well as general contractors. It explained how companies can navigate the procurement policies, technical support programs, and investment opportunities that will help them take advantage of this evolving landscape.

The webinar featured speakers from the public and private sectors who are advancing efforts to reduce embodied carbon from construction materials. They are driving adoption of cleaner, greener construction materials by building demand and creating an enabling environment for uptake.

Event Agenda

Introduction | 1:00 - 1:05 pm

Catherine Grossman, Special Advisor, Third Way Climate & Energy Program

Rebecca von dem Hagen, Senior Policy Advisor for Industry, Third Way Climate & Energy Program

Keynote Address | 1:05 - 1:15 pm

Ben Beachy, Special Assistant to the President on Climate Policy, Industrial Strategy, and Community Investment, the White House

Panel Discussion | 1:15 - 1:55 pm

Noah Goldstein, Sustainable Construction Lead for Data Centers, Google

Brad Nies, Sustainable Design Program Expert, Office of High-Performing Green Building, US General Services Administration (GSA)

Craig Wieden, Materials and Geotechnical Services Manager and State Materials Engineer, Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT)

Moderated by Rebecca von dem Hagen

Presentation | 1:55 - 2:10pm

Holly Elwood, Lead for the Labeling Program for Low Embodied Carbon Construction Materials & Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Wrap up | 2:10 - 2:15pm

Tech Demo | 2:15 - 2:30pm

Taylor Linell, Co-founder and CEO, BuiltCold

Resources and Additional Information

Labeling & Standards:

Embodied carbon—the amount of CO2 associated with the production process of construction materials such as cement, asphalt, steel, and glass—accounts for 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions according to the EPA. The best way to quantify, report, and compare the embodied carbon of a product is through an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). EPDs provide the transparency needed by those purchasing the materials so that they can understand the climate impacts of their projects.

• EPA Presentation for Webinar: Within the last month, EPA has announced the selection of 38 grantees to receive approximately $160M to advance development and deployment of EPDs and they have launched a new labeling program that will help put EPDs in context. The attached slides provide background on both, as well as information on how to get involved, get support for EPD development, reduce embodied carbon in manufacturing, and participate in related incentive programs.

• 2024 Updates to P100 Standard: The Facilities Standards for the Public Buildings Service (P100) establishes mandatory design standards and performance criteria for GSA-owned buildings. Design and construction professionals must abide by the policy and technical criteria in P100 while programming, designing, and documenting GSA buildings. In 2024, P100 was updated to require full building lifecycle analysis.

• iMason Climate Accord Open Letter on EPDs: On July 16, Google, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Schneider Electric, and Digital Realty signed onto a letter emphasizing and encouraging the adoption of EPDs for tracking the embodied carbon of their data centers.

• CDOT Case Study on Buy Clean Implementation and EPDs: Colorado’s Department of Transportation (CDOT) has been at the forefront of advancing the deployment of low carbon materials used to construct certain public projects since the passage of CO House Bill 21-1303 in 2021. This case study summarizes CDOT’s experience implementing the law, including the steps taken to facilitate the development of EPDs and CDOT’s subsequent process for collection and analysis.

Tools and Resources:

Building Transparency offers a unique tool called the Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3), a free database of construction EPDs and matching building impact calculator for use in design and material procurement. Google is one of many big name sponsors using EC3 to measure how they are achieving their climate targets.

BuiltCold is a tech platform that makes it easier for contractors and general suppliers to locate, acquire, and use LEC materials, as well as comply with federal and local Buy Clean requirements.

About Federal Buy Clean Initiatives:

• For additional information on the Federal Buy Clean Initiative, please click here.

• For additional information on GSA’s LEC program, please click here.

• For additional information on EPA's new labeling program to assist suppliers in identifying and selecting cleaner construction materials and products, please click here.

• For additional information on FHWA’s Low-Carbon Transportation Materials Grants Program, please click here.