Reducing embodied carbon in Canada’s buildings

Canada Green Building Council (2025) | Retrofitting, Information, Technology

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In order to meet Canada's climate targets, the built environment industry must reduce embodied carbon, which are defined as the emissions linked to materials and construction.

Recognizing the need for coordinated action, the inaugural National Summit on Embodied Carbon was held on June 4, 2024, alongside the Canada Green Building Council's (CAGBC) Building Lasting Change conference. Sixty experts from a range of sectors identified over 600 barriers and proposed actionable solutions.

Since the Summit, significant progress has been made. The National Research Council Canada has released comprehensive guidance for whole building life cycle assessment (wbLCA), and the Embodied Carbon Harmonization and Optimization (ECHO) Project has published recommendations for standardized metrics and reporting. CAGBC continues to spearhead efforts by aligning standards, fostering collaboration, and sharing insights to accelerate progress across t…