EPD Australasia

NZGBC Embodied Carbon Calculator Released

The New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC) has released an Embodied Carbon Calculator, Guide and Methodology. The release follows months of consultation with members and the wider built environment sector.

The calculator will help projects seeking Green Star certification measure, verify and compare embodied emissions in new buildings and major refurbishments. It is intended to align with MBIE’s Building for Climate Change (BfCC) programme.

NZGBC’s Green Star Design & As Built NZ v1.1 awards points based on a reduction in upfront embodied carbon. A minimum reduction of 10% is required to achieve a Green Star rating.

In addition, projects must demonstrate that whole-of-life embodied carbon is no higher than a defined maximum to show that the carbon footprint is not simply shifted from the first stage of the building’s life to the later stages.

The New Zealand built environment, including infrastructure, contributes 20% of the country’s carbon emissions and reducing embodied carbon is one of the greatest challenges faced by the industry.

The use of carbon footprint data from independently verified EPDs of construction products is rated the highest quality in the methodology.

The Embodied Carbon Calculator, Guide and Methodology, developed with thinkstep-anz, are available here.

Latest News

EPDs in Transport Infrastructure: A Path to Sustainability with NTRO

The National Transport Research Organisation (NTRO) is championing a resilient and sustainable future through innovative research and practical solutions to transport infrastructure challenges....

A guide to understanding LCAs and EPDs

Understanding the differences between Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) Embarking on a sustainability journey can often feel like navigating...

Leading the way in sustainable procurement on infrastructure projects

This month, we’re delighted to feature Ross Brookshaw, Sustainability Manager of the M80 Ring Road Alliance, as our guest author. Ross brings a...

Subscribe to our newsletter

© Copyright 2023 EPD Australasia Ltd | 681 Web - Build • Host • Manage | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions