Measuring sustainability in the construction industry is a complex task but an important one.
Without agreed-upon parameters, it’s hard to track progress and set goals and it’s difficult to ensure that all areas of sustainability are being considered.
Within sustainability scales, the two main areas of operational carbon and embodied carbon have typically been dealt with differently.
As it represents the largest portion of emissions—around 40 per cent of all emissions—operational carbon has been the primary focus of most scales and regulations.
But, as decarbonisation of the energy grid accelerates and the urgency of climate change climbs higher on the global agenda, embodied carbon is becoming a stronger focus.
In the Australian construction landscape, progress is well under way.
InfraBuild, the largest Australian steel long-products manufacturer, is seeking to tackle embodied carbon in building materials as part of their commitment to carbon neutrality by 2030.
Their new product range, SENSE Solutions, consists of lower-embodied carbon steel products that use up to 16.7 per cent less raw material to produce a product with the same load capacityas their 500N reinforcing steel, and are made from 100 per cent scrap metal.
SENSE 600 reinforcing steel optimises high strength with its innovative bar design to deliver up to a 35 per cent lower embodied carbon solution compared to their standard grade steel.
This level of innovation will help Australian construction industry stakeholders keep pace with incoming changes to sustainability rating systems.
The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), as Australia’s primary ratings authority for sustainable construction, has flagged upcoming changes in regard to embodied carbon.
Alongside other industry bodies such as the Clean Energy Finance Commission, GBCA has called for changes to the upcoming 2025 revision of the National Construction Code (NCC), to encompass embodied carbon and has implemented changes in their own ratings systems.
Projects registering with GBCA from January 1 2023 needed to meet the Climate Positive Pathway if they’re looking for a 5 or 6 star rating—and this encompasses lower carbon materials.
Also in 2023, GBCA released their guide to lowering upfront carbon to complement existing efforts in operational carbon reduction.
Among the guide’s recommendations was an emphasis on reducing the amount of embodied carbon in building materials and in design.
Historically, making this change has been a challenge: the decision to use a lower embodied carbon material or to redesign to reduce materials involves a vast number of stakeholders, as well as a significant investment of time.
However, Australian innovation is answering the call with an easier sustainability swap.
Avoiding the complications that come with substituting materials was a key consideration for InfraBuild in creating SENSE Solutions.
SENSE Solutions can be an alternate solution to the equivalent grade 500N product: engineers and designers can use their existing software and processes,with no additional compliance hurdles as SENSE 600 is CodeMark certified.
With SENSE Solutions, the work has already been done, so the construction industry can make the sustainable switch at scale and at pace.
For industry leaders and innovators, looking to make a difference to their projects and their Green Star ratings, it’s a choice that just makes sense.
It’s not just the planet that stands to benefit from choosing lower embodied carbon steel: it’s a shift driven by the market and consumers, too. GBCA reported a 13 per cent net income from Green Star rated office buildings, with 34 per cent of green building activity driven by client demand.
By leading the way in this important area of innovation, industry changemakers can not only grow their investment, but can rest assured they’re making progress towards a lower-carbon future.
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