Do you know how Carbon Wise started?

After working in the Energy Efficiency field for years, Elisabeth realized that there was a missing piece to how we build our homes: Embodied Emissions (aka Embodied Carbon).

It all started at the CHBA Net Zero Conference in 2020. Elisabeth attended a presentation that would spark an obsession with Embodied Carbon.

What if we could design and build homes that store carbon?

That was the title of the presentation. At the time, the concept of Embodied Carbon was unfamiliar to Elisabeth, let alone the idea that homes could store carbon. Determined to learn more, she read every article and book she could get her hands on. She attended every webinar on the topic, from Canada, and Europe to the US.

It soon became clear that, as we build more energy-efficient homes with low-carbon fuels, getting a handle on Embodied Carbon was becoming crucial.

What is Embodied Carbon and why we need to address it?

Embodied Carbon, or Embodied Emissions, are the emissions released from the extraction, manufacturing, transportation, installation, and decommissioning of building materials.

In recent years, the construction sector has made huge strides in reducing Operational Emissions thanks to energy efficiency measures. The BC Energy Step Code is widely being used as a policy tool to reduce emissions from the heating and cooling of buildings. In the City of Vancouver, the Vancouver Building by-law sets stringent energy efficiency standards as part of its Climate Emergency Action Plan.

However, as we build more energy-efficient buildings and use low-carbon fuels, there are two unintended consequences:

• Quantities of materials increase and therefore Embodied Emissions increase.
• As Operational Emissions are reduced Embodied Emissions become a larger portion of the total environmental footprint of buildings.

Why build with Carbon Wise?

At Carbon Wise, we believe the construction industry can shift from being a major emitter to being a major carbon sink. We believe low-carbon construction starts by addressing both Operational and Embodied Emissions at once.

The way we accelerate low-carbon construction is by providing holistic services that reduce both Operational and Embodied Emissions, taking into account the synergies between the two.

We provide Energy Efficiency services and Whole Building Life Cycle Assessments (LCA).

We find the optimal solution for your build.