Category
Lifestyle
Assisted Choices
Trend cluster
Category
Embodied
Carbon
New building designs consider the environmental cost from start to end-of-life.
3.0
Trend score
Trend
What is the Embodied Carbon trend?
Embodied Carbon: Brands in construction are now taking steps to accurately understand the building's environmental impact through an "embodied carbon" lens. Embodied carbon refers to the total carbon footprint of the materials used throughout the supply chain–from extraction and manufacturing through to the landfill or recycling plant.
Insight
The consumer insight behind the Embodied Carbon trend
In the wake of climate change, information has emerged about the detrimental environmental impacts of various production and consumption methods. Brands are no longer doing enough by simply taking a product's production into consideration but must consider its end-of-life cycle. Conscious consumers are now demanding brands identify these blind spots in production to help tackle climate change.
Trend themes
Themes within the Embodied Carbon trend
Three behaviours holding the trend together01
Embodied Carbon Analytics
Emphasis is now placed on developing innovative tools for assessing a product's embodied carbon emissions throughout its life cycle to tackle climate change.
02
Circular Building Materials
Brands are exploring ways to create circular building materials that can be reused or recycled to minimize embodied carbon emissions and reduce waste.
03
Green Building Policies
Green building policies that require the use of low-embodied carbon materials and support whole life-cycle carbon assessment are becoming a trend that is gaining traction.
Industry implications
What the Embodied Carbon trend means for industry
Where the trend changes the playbookFor
Construction
The construction industry can leverage new technologies and materials to reduce embodied carbon emissions and promote sustainability.
For
Architecture
Architects and designers can incorporate sustainable building practices and materials in their designs to minimize embodied carbon and create a positive environmental impact.
For
Software Development
Software developers and tech companies have an opportunity to create innovative tools and apps that can calculate, compare, and minimize embodied carbon emissions in building and construction.
Workshop question
How can you consider the life-long consequences of a product or service and reduce its environmental effect?
Trend signals
Trend signals for Embodied Carbon
Trend score 3.0 out of 10, from popularity 44%, activity 37%, freshness 10%.
Popularity44%
Activity37%
Freshness10%
Audience
50%Men
50%Women
- Gen Alpha (not a primary audience)
- Gen Z
- Millennial
- Gen X
- Boomer (not a primary audience)
Market
North America
Europe
Asia-Pacific
Evidence
Examples of the Embodied Carbon trend
4 featured examples from Jan 20 to Mar 19, 2021CategoryEco
Low Embodied Carbon Wood Stadiums
The Forest Green Rovers Eco Park stadium is Crafted from Wood
The construction industry can take advantage of ethically sourced wood and other green technologies to reduce carbon emissions and promote more sustainable building practices.
CategoryEco
Sustainable 3D Printed Habitats
WASP Debuts TECLA, a New Circular Model of Housing
The construction industry can adopt new techniques and materials to create sustainable, 3D-printed homes like the WASP TECLA, reducing waste and improving end-of-life consideratio…
CategoryEco
Open-Source Embodied Carbon Apps
The Structural Carbon Tool Calculates & Compares Embodied Carbon
The construction industry can use open-source embodied carbon apps and rating systems to promote sustainable building practices and reduce environmental impact.
CategoryEco
Embodied Carbon Campaigns
The Decarbonise Construction Campaign Tackles Construction Emissions
The construction industry can benefit from implementing embodied carbon tracking and other carbon-reducing measures that can save them significant costs and prevent unnecessary wa…
