Sustainability · Defined
Embodied carbon
Greenhouse-gas emissions associated with materials and construction across the life-cycle stages included in an assessment.
Why it matters
Boundaries differ: production-only results are not the same as whole-life results. Compare alternatives with consistent quantities, service life, and life-cycle assumptions.
In practice
A project example
A structural-material comparison includes the same building function and assessment boundary for each option.
General educational guidance from KOW Building Consultants. Examples are illustrative, not project records. The applicable contract, standard, program, and jurisdiction control the requirements for a specific assignment.