Embodied Carbon: Why It Matters for Your Carbon-Reduction Strategy

Opportunities to reduce emissions across your footprint and stand out with customers

Event Details:

• March 10, 2022, 1pm-2pm
• Virtual

Event Overview:

You have a handle on the greenhouse gas emissions associated with your organization’s operations, and maybe you’ve even inventoried them as a basis for your carbon-reduction strategy. But what about emissions generated over the life cycle of the buildings you operate from? How about emissions generated over the entire life cycle of your products? 

According to Architecture 2030, embodied carbon will account for almost half of total new construction emissions between now and 2050. That makes for an incredible opportunity to reduce the emissions associated with buildings, from the extraction, manufacture, and selection of the building materials through construction processes to occupancy. Suppliers of building materials have reduced their carbon emissions and achieved market advantage through Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), attesting to their low-carbon designs. Following this strategy, manufacturers from other sectors are evaluating ways to reduce embodied carbon. Brands as diverse as Logitech, Dove soap, Lipton teas, and Adidas are moving toward carbon footprint labels on their products. What are the opportunities for your organization?

During this session, we’ll cover –

• What is embodied carbon, and what are some opportunities for reducing it through our building construction and renovation decisions?
• What are some tools for conducting a life cycle analysis (LCA) of emissions for your products and services? 
• What are the marketing advantages of an EPD or product carbon footprint label, how do you get one, and what are the benefits of EPD Optimization?

Featured Speakers:

• Victoria Herrero-Garcia, LEED AP BD+C, Senior Sustainability and Carbon Project Manager at Ambient Energy
• Greg Kingsley, Ph.D., P.E., President and CEO at KL&A Engineers and Builders
• Jim Mellentine, LCACP, Principal at Thrive ESG and Adjunct Professor in Sustainable Design at Thomas Jefferson University

Who Should Attend:

• Business managers and sustainability practitioners 
• Manufacturers
• Civil engineers, architects, builders, and specifiers 
• Municipal managers, elected officials, and administrative staff
• Anyone with an interest in advancing sustainability / environmental, social, and governance progress at their organization or in their community

Virtual event hosted by Sustainable Pittsburgh and CEOs for Sustainability.

Thanks to our event sponsor!

Join us from the comfort of your desk for this virtual event. Then on March 15, learn more at the Green Building Alliance’s event, Bridge to 2030: Embodied Carbon and Existing Buildings, including a tour of the Living Building-certified Frick Environmental Center.