Join us in decarbonizing the built environment – better buildings for a better planet.

The building and construction sector have a vital role to play in eliminating carbon, as it is responsible for nearly 40% of greenhouse gas emissions. Learn More | Watch Video

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Embodied Carbon Policy

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Change Our Buildings, Save Our Planet | Andrew Himes @ TEDxSeattle

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Wisconsin Girl Scouts on a Mission to Educate an Industry

Take Action to Decarbonize Buildings and Materials

The Carbon Leadership Forum’s goal is to eliminate embodied carbon in buildings and infrastructure by inspiring innovation and spurring change through collective action.

Who We Are

Research

We investigate the pathways for maximizing carbon reductions and lead collaborative research with materials experts, NGOs, industry partners, and policymakers.

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Featured Project: 2017 Embodied Carbon Benchmark Study

Problem: Despite a growing recognition that we need to track and reduce embodied carbon emissions, building industry professionals needed better data and guidance on how to implement low carbon methods in practice.

Collaboration: The Carbon Leadership Forum, in collaboration with numerous partners, embarked on the Embodied Carbon Benchmark Study. This project compiled the largest known database of building embodied carbon and created an interactive database.

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Resources

We accelerate learning by crowdsourcing and disseminating knowledge.

Resource Library

Featured Resource: World Green Building Council Issues Ground-breaking Report

Through the Advancing Net Zero project, and in partnership with European Climate Foundation, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, C40 Cities and Ramboll, WorldGBC has developed a ‘call to action’ report focusing on these emissions, as part of a whole lifecycle approach, and the systemic changes needed to achieve full decarbonization across the global buildings sector.

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Network

Connecting inspired advocates to achieve greater action.

Connect With Us

We are committed to providing multiple ways for our members to network. We unite professionals across the building industry to share research, best practices and new approaches to decarbonize the building industry, with a keen focus on embodied carbon. We invite you to become a Member or a Sponsor, join our Online Community, keep up-to-date through our social media links and newsletter, and participate in our collaborative Webinars, Events, Roundtables and burgeoning Regional Hubs.

Initiatives

Accelerating market transformation by inspiring and fostering action. By deploying a collective action model and incubation environment, we empower our members and partners to advance new ideas and approaches and launch impactful member-led initiatives.

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CARE – Carbon Avoided: Retrofit Estimator

The CARE Tool (formerly the 2Build or not 2Build Calculator) is used for calculating and comparing the embodied, operating and avoided carbon impacts and benefits of reusing and upgrading existing buildings or replacing them with new construction. About CARE...

Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3)

The Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3) tool is a free and easy-to-use tool that allows benchmarking, assessment and reductions in embodied carbon, focused on the upfront supply chain emissions of construction materials. The EC3 tool was incubated at...

SE 2050 Challenge

A Challenge for Structural Engineers Structural Materials and the Path to Zero Recognizing that structural materials account for at least 50% of the carbon emitted in production, delivery, and installation of materials for new construction and the latest IPCC...

MEP 2040 Challenge

The MEP 2040 Challenge:“All systems engineers shall advocate for and achieve net zero carbon in their projects: operational carbon by 2030 and embodied carbon by 2040.” The Challenge from the Carbon Leadership Forum by Kate Simonen, Executive Director, Carbon...