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A New Frontier for City-Based Climate Action

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Embodied Carbon—the emissions released from materials during the construction of buildings and infrastructure—will be responsible for half of the carbon footprint of new structures between now and 2050. It is a substantial source of carbon emissions in cities that can be dramatically reduced through the legal and regulatory powers of zoning and land use policies. Some leading cities around the world have already begun to adopt and apply these policies, but for climate goals to be met, global implementation needs to be accelerated. 

 

This framework provides guidance for cities considering policies that can deliver the highest impact within their geopolitical contexts and regulatory systems. Over 50 existing policies from leading cities have been evaluated, categorized, and scored according to their potential, cost efficiency, ease of implementation, and enforceability.

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Developed in partnership between the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance, a collaboration of global cities working to achieve carbon neutrality before 2050; and One Click LCA, specialists in the carbon management of construction, and developer of the world-leading carbon calculation tool; and Architecture 2030, a non-profit research organization with the mission to transform the global built environment into a central solution to the climate crisis. 

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This work has been possible through the support of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Construction Climate Challenge hosted by Volvo Construction Equipment, Finnish Ministry of Environment,  National Research Council of Canada, Cities of Helsinki, Oslo, and Tampere.

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For more information, read the full press release here.