# July 2023 Meeting of the NGO/Government Roundtable on Embodied Carbon **URL:** \ **Category:** Roundtable: NGO/Government Alignment\ **Created:** [July 12, 2023, 9:55pm UTC](https://community.carbonleadershipforum.org/t/july-2023-meeting-of-the-ngo-government-roundtable-on-embodied-carbon/6949 "2023-07-12T21:55:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![andrewhimesclf](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.carbonleadershipforum.org/andrewhimesclf/32/3266_2.png) [@andrewhimesclf](https://community.carbonleadershipforum.org/u/andrewhimesclf)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2023, 9:55pm UTC](https://community.carbonleadershipforum.org/t/july-2023-meeting-of-the-ngo-government-roundtable-on-embodied-carbon/6949/1 "2023-07-12T21:55:33Z")
CLF’s **[Embodied Carbon Roundtable](https://carbonleadershipforum.org/ngo-roundtable/)** has the following objectives: - Share news, strategic plans, resources, and tools related to embodied carbon. - Report planning and future dates for conferences, webinars, and meetings. - Inspire and facilitate ongoing communication and conversation among key leaders related to embodied carbon. - Encourage convergence on shared embodied carbon terminology, data standards, benchmarks, and targets for embodied carbon reduction. **[\>\> Register for the Upcoming October 12 Meeting!](https://washington.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0ldu-rrTMoEtcaRhBiCiw5MCj83PAXglFp#/registration)** [![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/carbonleadershipforum/original/2X/a/a5459890e98c140e0bde7907845c1b2dd8e88b66.jpeg "July 2023 Meeting of the NGO/Government Roundtable on Embodied Carbon") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOXEYmVAX3k) # Presenters • Andrew Himes — Intro and Welcome from CLF • Ankita Gangotra — WRI • Graham Wright — PHIUS (Passive House Institute of the US) • Kara Kokernak — ULI • James Kitchin — MASS Design Group • Shayna Stott — City of Toronto, Canada • Meghan Lewis — Carbon Leadership Forum & Embodied Carbon Alignment • Tracy Huynh — RMI • Dorian Bailey — Port Authority of NY/NJ • Ken Levenson — Passive House Network • Marnese Jackson — Midwest Building Decarbonization Coalition • Luke Leung — MEP 2040 • Webly Bowles — NBI • Lisa Dulude — University of Washington • Rachel Stern — Cellulose Insulation Manufacturers Association • Natalie Douglas — City of Nelson, BC, Canada • Jessica Bristow — ILFI • Lauren Kubiak — NRDC • Eric Finley — NSF • Lauren Alger — Infrastructure 2050 • David Arkin — AIA • Wes Sullens — USGBC • Allison Kinn Bennet — EPA # Ankita Gangotra — WRI - Drafting article comparing different approaches about the intersection of trade policies and industrial decarb – coming soon - Low carbon product standard - New legislative proposals on carbon adjustments - US/International knowledge forum on green concrete and steel - Green procurement and low carbon standards - Question: CAL AB 43 engagement? - Email: [ankita.gangotra@wri.org](mailto:ankita.gangotra@wri.org) - If you’re interested in the US-International Knowledge Exchange forum on green steel, cement and concrete [WRI’s working paper](https://www.wri.org/research/toward-tradable-low-carbon-cement-standard-policy-design-considerations-united-states) from a couple of years ago on a low-carbon product standard # Graham Wright — PHIUS (Passive House Institute of the US) - [Website](http://phius.org) - Proposed absolute zero for carbon anywhere in operation or supply chain - 24/7 Zero - Building sector shouldn’t get to use carbon offsets - Retrofit program – full cost accounting carbon metric for both operational and embodied carbon - Adds to construction, operational, electrification costs - Design as if there’s a carbon tax - Benchmarking before targets - Oak Ridge National Laboratory – air tightness and moisture properties of low EC materials - Refrigerants – not adopted anything yet # Kara Kokernak — ULI - Collecting EC data for the annual performance report - 1 submission so far – deadline 8/1 - EC case studies - [Second EC Convening in September](https://americas.uli.org/research/centers-initiatives/uligreenprint/greenprint-resources-2/embodied-carbon-convening/) - Construction, developers, green concrete and green steel supplier executives # James Kitchin — MASS Design Group - US – designing different envelopes and identifying EC and OC emissions that are associated, introduce whole life cost into that as well - Cost – cost effective is easy to implement - How does this change in different locations? - Ask PCR – biogenic materials discussion - Rwanda - Toolkit for Built Env Practitioners to mEasure and reduce EC in Rwanda - Implementing cooling systems and refrigerants into the tool - 3 Rwanda manufacturers agree to create EPDs for their materials in Rwanda - EPDs not as expensive as they used to be 3k euros - Government on board – EPDs align with existing initiatives # Shayna Stott — City of Toronto, Canada - [Green Standard V4](https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/planning-development/official-plan-guidelines/toronto-green-standard/toronto-green-standard-version-4/) - Tiered requirements to private sector projects - Two benchmark studies - Regulating EC Emissions of Buildings – 1 Big Buildings 1 small buildings - Toronto to have EC caps of city facilities and projects - Creating affordable city housing and releasing additional land for housing - Next Steps: Phase 2 Study - Municipal EC Toolkit - Urban design guidelines review - Procurement policy review - Demolition, renovation, and reconstruction policy review # Meghan Lewis — Carbon Leadership Forum & Embodied Carbon Alignment - [Alignment opportunities in EC Reporting](https://carbonleadershipforum.org/aligning-and-accelerating-embodied-carbon-reporting/) - Communications, requirements for data, broad - Submitting data – what that would look like and how to align reporting - Report due in August: Advancing the LCA Data Ecosystem for Policy; public webinar to follow in ~ September - De-mystify LCA data ecosystem - Propose a roadmap for advancing the LCA data ecosystem - Shine a light on existing initiatives - Focus on US and Canada, but reference EU standards, too and attention to global harmonization - 4 focus areas: Cross sector, product, building, roadways # David Arkin – AIA - AIA (American Institute of Architects) is part of the EC/Decarb Alignment effort … we’ve been tracking carbon in buildings since 2013 (now reporting 3B sf / year) and added embodied carbon reporting in 2020, growing from 900 projects in 2021 to 3700 in 2022. [The AIA 2030 Commitment](https://www.aia.org/pages/6464938-the-aia-2030-commitment) # Tracy Huynh — RMI - EC in ECG Primer - Brief how EC fits into the blogger ESG reporting landscape, specifically real estate - ANSI/RESNET - Pursue standard to measure create to gate EC emissions in new low rise residential homes - Looking for technical committee members - Home Builders climate commitment program - Voluntary commitment program to support the home building sector ro report on and reduce carbon emissions - Reporting framework and guidance - Soft launch at EEBA conf in Oct. - Driving Action on Embodied Carbon Paper - Synthesis on current understanding of EC today - Unblock barriers to act on EC - Work w Wes at USGBC - [Slides](https://rockmtnins-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/thuynh_rmi_org/EVJCHMENc6VEma-c1vHSjv4Bi32M1V8O5s0lGJUfnMi_DQ?e=fGpFEO) # Dorian Bailey — Port Authority of NY/NJ - EC Strategy for the past 3-4 years - [Construction side](https://www.panynj.gov/port-authority/en/about/Environmental-Initiatives/clean-construction.html) – track EC and other EPD like metrics - Centralized carbon data management system - Receive technical support grant from FHA for climate challenge work - Working on linear construction work - Press release - Codifying low carbon concrete specs # Ken Levenson — Passive House Network - Knowledge sharing, capacity building, ect… - Chris Magwood on talking about report on residential construction and EC impact - PHN Conf. Denver – end of sept. - Chris to join panel discussion on PH and EC - PHribbon – EC calc tool - EC3 database with BT - Is being updated with lots more data and power behind it # Marnese Jackson — Midwest Building Decarbonization Coalition - Coalition building and structuring coalition - Equity summit in Nov - [Grant funding cycle to redistribute communities](https://midwestdecarb.org/funding/) – Climate Funders Justice Pledge and C40 Pledge - Any communities – apply for that - August Trainings - [Calendar](https://midwestdecarb.org/calendar/) - Youth podcast series - Email: [Jackson@fresh-energy.org](mailto:Jackson@fresh-energy.org) - July 25: New Member Orientation – New member orientation is every fourth Tuesday of the month at 12 PM CST / 1 PM EST.[Click here to register.](https://midwestdecarb.org/orientation/) - July 12: MWBDC Monthly Meeting – The monthly meeting usually takes place the second Wednesday of each month for 90 minutes at 2 PM CST / 3 PM EST. Register [here](https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYsf-ysqTItHNap41j-aUEfrIVeoOOEOQvG#/registration) # Luke Leung — MEP 2040 - AHRAE and MEP 2040 – endorse and contribute resources - TM65 Draft out for comment - Working with multiple organizations to come up with holistic to report EC on MEP side - Data points in MEP reporting they should include – reach out if comments - WGBC – new target for 2050 is not “net zero whole life carbon”, but rather zero carbon impact on the earth in a complete circular global economy # Webly Bowles — NBI - Publish EC building Code overlay soon - ASHRAE 90.1 will have an EPD requirement - Product GWP standards for procurement - City of Seattle – concrete and steel in proposals for local code revision - CALGreen – EC proposals, public hearing 8/1 - 8/3 - Looking for more people to speak - Webinars in this fall - Coordinate with other events # Lisa Dulude — University of Washington - [Updating UW green building standard](https://carbonleadershipforum.org/embodied-carbon-uw/) - ~ 50% the way through - Introducing EC into requirements - Tiers for different types of projects - EC focus group meetings - 46.45kg CO2e/SF EC reduction target - Lots of engagement and education - Any recommendations or oversights – reach out if have input - Not doing carbon offsets, looking to renovate instead of add buildings, - Email: [lisad3@uw.edu](mailto:lisad3@uw.edu) # Rachel Stern — Cellulose Insulation Manufacturers Association - PCR update for thermal insulation - Addition of bio based to applicable products list - Inclusions of blowing agent emissions for foam products - Brook Waldman (CLF) also included in this PCR - Wall assembly, attic, or similar – get in touch for free product of cellulose insulation # Natalie Douglas — City of Nelson, BC, Canada - Here’s a[summary of some of the work Nelson has done](https://nelson.ca/905/Low-Carbon-Building-Materials.) regarding embodied carbon: - 2021 – investigating - 2022 – testing - 2023 – implementing - Email: [ndouglas@nelson.ca](mailto:ndouglas@nelson.ca) # Jessica Bristow — ILFI - EC Coalition group (with CLF) - ILFI, BT, CLF at Greenbuild - May - Living Futures Conference in DC - Affordable Housing Summit - Second cycle of technical advisory group – opens soon - Alignment update across CZ programs – updates at the beginning of next year - [Survey of vision for LBC 5.0](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdcxkhZUoFPWgE7jkN7XEqkXmxt4YmGu4m0rTPNrEdTSUcxiA/viewform) # Lauren Kubiak — NRDC - [Public procurement of concrete in CAL](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB1250) - AB 1250 - passed assembly last month, passed trans senate yesterday - Require cal trans to include EPDs in state trans asphalt and concrete - GWP benchmark hopes - Ask for support - Concrete not include in BC CA - Previous efforts have failed # Eric Finley — NSF - Public health and safety organization - Program operator for PCRs, LCAs, and EPDs # Lauren Alger — Infrastructure 2050 - [ASCE Infrastructure 2050](https://www.linkedin.com/company/infrastructure2050/) - Everything beyond SE 2050 - Evaluating tunnel projects – draft framework for data collection - Focus groups for bridges, airports (runways), roadways, ports, utilities - Develop policies with govt agencies – safe and effective carbon reduction strategies # Alison Kinn Bennett — EPA - Thanks to everyone who gave feedback and insight to RFI - Hiring – growing lots to bring in expertise for[EC and IRA work](https://www.epa.gov/inflation-reduction-act/inflation-reduction-act-programs-fight-climate-change-reducing-embodied) - If you are interested in joining our growing team at EPA launching the new IRA low embodied carbon / EPD technical assistance and labeling programs, we’ll have some open opportunities soon! Please email me in the next couple days at [kinn.alison@epa.gov](mailto:kinn.alison@epa.gov).