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dcarbon8 Business & Product Directory

8th July 2009

dcarbon8 is currently developing a Business & Product Directory for use by clients and specifiers to identify low carbon products and services. It is a unique database of building materials, renewable technologies and services for the construction industry.

As the global carbon footprint from buildings makes up over 40% of total global emissions, this sector is increasingly becoming an important target for emissions reductions.  As lifetime operational carbon in buildings continues to be lowered due to the multitude of energy efficiency products and solutions already available on the market, the embodied carbon associated with the manufacture of all the building materials becomes more of a focus for concern.

In energy efficient buildings, the embodied carbon can be 40% of the total lifetime emissions of 60 years or more. The difference is that once built, the embodied carbon, which represents approximately 40 years worth of operational emissions, has been emitted with no possible recourse for mitigation. Influenced by the choice of materials, the embodied carbon can only be reduced up until the time of construction after which its impact persists in the atmosphere for decades.

Product/Service Footprint
In order for a product or service to be included in the dcarbon8 Business & Product Directory, suppliers are required to submit a full life cycle carbon analysis of their products or services.   Suppliers must provide detailed product or service carbon footprint data. To capture all GHG emissions, dcarbon8 uses life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology in accordance with ISO 140044 & PAS2050 which are aligned with the Planet Positive Protocol. Suppliers or services that have already calculated their carbon footprint may also be included in the database but will need to be reviewed to ensure that they meet the required standards.

dcarbon8 has been working closely for the last year and a half with the developers of  Masdar City, billed as the world’s first zero carbon, zero waste city, being built in Abu Dhabi in the UAE. Through specific supply chain and lifecycle data, Masdar is able to source and specify low carbon materials that allow it to reduce its supply chain impacts and the eventual embodied carbon footprint of the city.  Specific LCA data has been collected from its supply chain, enabling Masdar to set best practice carbon targets and requirements for its buildings.

dcarbon8 worked with an established European aluminium manufacturer where it was possible to reduce the emobiede carbon footprint by over 80%. By increasing the recycled content and reducing the amount of virgin aluminium required, which was smelted in Iceland, substantial savings were made.  In Iceland, the intense energy demand for the smelting process was supplied from the neighbouring renewable energy geothermal power station. By adopting these measures it was possible to reduce the embodied carbon footprint of an aluminium product by over 80%.

Andrew Marris, CEO of dcarbon8, describes the importance of this tool for the construction industry; “The dcarbon8 Low Carbon Business & Product Directory will provide developers and specifiers with a unique source of material and product carbon data. It will not only encourage suppliers to measure and understand the carbon footprint of their products and services but it will also provide the incentive to develop new, lower carbon products. This is an essential requirement to help all companies in the construction sector to adapt quickly to the Low Carbon Economy. ”
 
To find out more about the dcarbon8 Business & Product Directory, please contact us at info@dcarbon8.com

 

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