By Lisa Richmond featured in Architect
The AEC industry has made significant progress toward reducing the energy that buildings use and the carbon they emit. In a 2023 article for ARCHITECT, Architecture 2030 founder Ed Mazria, FAIA, examined a 2022 U.S. Energy Information Administration study and highlighted promising decarbonization trends in the built environment, including the decoupling of emissions and building sector growth.
But we can improve only what we measure, and we haven’t been measuring enough. Operating emissions, while still critically important, represent only a fraction of a building’s total carbon impact. A recent paper released by Seattle-based LMN Architects states: “Net Zero Carbon claims … may include only a 25% or 50% reduction toward carbon neutrality when a full scope is included. Even advanced rating systems exclude important emissions sources.”
