Constructing houses in the US that are both sustainable and high performing requires us to rethink the way we track and produce materials. Today, home builders can take immediate steps to achieve 30–50% emissions reductions at cost parity with currently available tools and materials. That’s one of the key takeaways from RMI (formerly Rocky Mountain Institute’s) report on the hidden climate impact of residential construction, which examines the cradle-to-gate embodied carbon emissions of building materials. As new homes are increasingly more energy efficient and electrified, and the grid becomes greener, the disparity between embodied and operational carbon GHG emissions will grow even wider. By accounting for the emissions associated with every stage of the material lifecycle, we can make more informed choices to reduce the climate impact of our homes. The report identifies hot spots for embodied carbon in new homes, shows how reductions of 40-100% are achievable, and includes two case studies of homes that have only a fraction of the average embodied carbon while being highly energy efficient. Click on RMI Report on Embodied Carbon in New Homes to read the report!
