Sustainable Building Task Force releases report on addressing embodied carbon in mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems

Dubai - At COP28, the Sustainable Markets Initiative announced a new roadmap for addressing embodied carbon in the built environment. Its Sustainable Buildings Task Force chaired by Johnson Controls Chairman and CEO, George Oliver, released a new report, titled Decarbonization in the Built Environment: Addressing Embodied Carbon in mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems. The report outlines solutions, challenges and best practices for reducing embodied carbon in a building’s MEP system – a significant, but often not highlighted, component of a building’s overall emissions.

“Buildings account for nearly 40% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions and decarbonizing buildings is the key to decarbonizing our future to ensure generations to come experience a healthy, safe and sustainable planet,” said George Oliver, Chairman & CEO, Johnson Controls and Chair of the Sustainable Markets Initiative Sustainable Buildings Task Force. “As building operations continue to decarbonize through energy efficiency, electrification, and access to carbon free electricity, addressing embodied carbon is becoming an increasingly important factor in driving toward carbon-neutral lifecycle buildings.”

Embodied carbon can represent as much as 50% of overall life cycle emissions in new, energy efficient buildings, making it a key factor in reducing GHG emissions. In the newly released report, the Task Force outlines opportunities, challenges, and recommendations on how to reduce embodied carbon. To read the report, please visit the Sustainable Building Task Force webpage and download report.

In addition to the report, the Task Force is helping Sustainable Markets Initiative members engage in and support a commitment to having at least one carbon neutral building by 2030, while decarbonizing heat and deploying ultra-low carbon building materials when possible. This builds on a commitment by the companies in the Sustainable Buildings Task Force made in 2022 at COP27.

The Sustainable Buildings Task Force is made up of global CEOs from throughout the buildings industry working together to accelerate the delivery of net zero buildings to reduce carbon emissions. Together, the Members are united by a common ambition to harness the power of technology and drive partnerships and policy decisions that enable the adoption of sustainable building technology and drive a lower carbon future.

 Sustainable Buildings Task Force members:

• George Oliver, Chairman & CEO at Johnson Controls, chair of the SMI Sustainable Buildings Taskforce
• Irene Gallou, Senior Partner, Foster and Partners
• Steve McGill, Founder and CEO, McGill and Partners
• Dave Regnery, Chair and CEO Trane Technologies, SMI Sustainable Buildings Technology Workstream Lead
• Elliot Robertson, CEO, Robertson Group
• Troy Rudd, CEO, AECOM
• Michael Stassinopoulos, Executive member of the Board, Viohalco
• Paul Williams, CEO, Derwent London

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Media Contact:
Ortega Pittman, Sustainable Markets Initiative
Email: o.pittman@sustainable-markets.org

Danielle Canzanella, Johnson Controls
Email: Danielle.canzanella@jci.com

About the Sustainable Markets Initiative

Founded by His Majesty King Charles III in 2020, as Prince of Wales, the Sustainable Markets Initiative has become the world’s ‘go-to’ private sector organization on transition. Launched in 2021, the Terra Carta serves as the Sustainable Markets Initiative’s mandate with a focus on accelerating positive results for Nature, People and Planet through real economy action.

Read more: www.sustainable-markets.org