The City of Vancouver is a world leader in addressing embodied carbon in the built environment, having set a target of reducing embodied carbon from new buildings by 40 percent by 2030. But in order to make reductions, there must first be a benchmark understanding of embodied carbon emissions in today’s new homes. This study examines 13 typical new homes using as-built plans to assess the carbon footprint attributable to the structure, enclosure and partitions of these homes. Using the BEAM estimator tool, each of the 13 homes was modeled, creating a valuable data set.

Based on the average net Materials Carbon Emissions (MCI) of the study, it is recommended that the City of Vancouver use a rounded baseline of 200 kg CO2e/m2 of heated floor area to represent the typical average emissions for new homes. This baseline should be based on the A1-A3 (cradle-to-gate) emissions for all structure, enclosure and partition materials.

In addition to the suggested baseline, the report includes recommendations related to:

• Selection of metrics for measuring embodied carbon;
• Regulating whole building, not individual materials;
• Concrete;
• Insulation;
• Embodied and operational emissions;
• Double- and triple-pane windows;
• Below grade living space; and
• High impact of bog foundation.

 Follow the link below to read the full report.