Addressing energy use in the built environment is just one aspect of the carbon reduction challenge, according to The Footprint Company chief executive Dr Caroline Noller. Addressing the embodied carbon in building materials is also vital.

Dr Noller told The Fifth Estate international data showed that more than 50 per cent of global carbon emissions ended up in a building or infrastructure material of some kind.

To grab this bull by the horns, equipping designers with the knowledge to make good carbon decisions is key.

“Design decisions including materials selection can change the footprint of the building,” Noller says.

This is where her idea of a NABERS-style rating scheme for embodied carbon in buildings could create real traction.

Read the full article on The Fifth Estate