NACF launches Embodied Carbon Benchmarking tool to help speed up change in reducing emissions

We are delighted to formally announce the NACF Embodied Carbon Benchmarking initiative, a pathfinder project that will enable evidence to be compiled that supports the sharing of best practice and learning on embodied carbon emissions on public sector building projects.  As pressure grows to tackle embodied carbon emissions in a way that makes large scale and speedy changes to more sustainable construction, we are building an accessible dataset of project embodied carbon emissions that can be used to identify approaches that reduce embodied carbon quickly and effectively.

We all know that reducing embodied carbon is an intrinsic part of the journey to net zero with embodied carbon emissions accounting for 12% of UK greenhouse gas emissions.   Just this month, the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Timber Industries released a report which called for an expansion to the Building Regulations to include requirements to assess, report and reduce embodied carbon and setting limit values on embodied carbon emissions for all developments.

The industry is looking for support and fast – time is of the essence and we need to see what good looks like now so that we can accelerate towards lower carbon projects as soon as possible.

With active connections to the Governments Infrastructure and Projects Authority, The NACF database is designed as a forerunner and ultimately a contributor to the Bulit Environment Carbon Database (BECD), which is still under development.  The NACF tool is available now for those project teams motivated to start taking rapid action.

The NACF database is available to building projects being delivered through NACF frameworks.  We welcome all contractors and framework operators to the initiative which are delivering public sector construction projects covering both new build and retrofit/refurbishment activity.

What are the benefits for participants?

Shared learning

All participants are taking part and contributing information to ensure learning about the approaches that successfully reduce embodied carbon is quickly shared across our industry

Evidence base for improvement

Sharing project data now gives us a clear baseline to track collective progress towards a lower carbon future and the ability to compare each or our organisations progress against the wider community of practice.

Demonstration of commitment and participation in cutting carbon emissions

The NACF is committed to the use and promotion of the Construction Leadership Council’s Carbon Reduction Code – a holistic code of practice with three tiered levels of compliance which recognise organisational commitment and progress towards decarbonising the UK construction sector.  Participating in this benchmarking initiative has been recognised by the Carbon Code steering group as a relevant and recognised activity in supporting code applications and also sits well as part of construction companies bidding activities to public sector clients, aligned to the principles set out in the Construction Playbook.

What is the scope of the benchmarking data?

Our focus is on embodied carbon and specifically, within the PAS 2080 / RICS code of practice structure:

  • Scope A1 to A3 or cradle to gate emissions – the emissions arising from the raw material extraction, transport and manufacture of building products and off-site assemblies.
  • Scope A5, Construction and Installation emissions – the emissions arising from the activities of the contractor and subcontractors, including site electricity, water and fuel use-age

We do also offer the ability to record emission arising from waste (Scope A4).

Data can be supplied at any stage of the project delivery process – from evaluation of an initial scheme design, to tender stage but always upon completion of construction.  Data can be submitted at multiple project stages for the same project, with the RIBA stage captured with each submission. We collect Scope A5 data (construction emissions) after works have been completed.

Several our pioneering framework operators including North West Construction Hub, YORhub, SCAPE and Southern Construction Frameworks are already contributing data and making the data base a contractual part of their operations. We are also moving forward discussions with YORhub and North West Construction Hub to get involved; with an aim to engage all construction frameworks across the NACF over the coming months and years.

To find out more…

Please contact Chris Clarke or Kingsley Clarke 

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