The EMBARC (“Emissions from Materials Benchmark Assessment of Residential Construction”) is a first-of-its-kind study that documents the greenhouse gas emissions from building materials used to construct homes in the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area (GTHA). The EMBARC study examined data from over 500 single detached, semi-detached and town houses (part 9 - smaller buildings) built between 2017 and 2020 in the GTHA to provide decision makers – including policymakers, developers, home designers and builders, and homeowners - with insights about choices they can make to reduce GHG emissions in the homes they build, design and renovate.
The results of the study are substantial, revealing roughly 840,000 tonnes of carbon per year, equivalent to the emissions from more than 183,000 automobiles.
The EMBARC study was conducted by Builders for Climate Action and Passive Buildings Canada with funding from The Atmospheric Fund.
BFCA_PBC-EMBARC Report-WEB-2.pdf (4.3 MB)