At CLF, we’re working to bring those opportunities to the forefront – showing how today’s solutions can meaningfully reduce embodied carbon and move the built environment towards a more climate-aligned future. 

A clear signal of that opportunity comes from The Embodied Carbon Pathways to 2050 for the United States, a collaborative report by CLF, RMI, and the UW Life Cycle Lab. This report offers the most comprehensive analysis to date on the future of US embodied carbon and how embodied carbon emissions could evolve, and be reduced, across US buildings and materials. Rapid decarbonization is essential to meet the emissions reductions required for a 1.5°C-aligned future. With limited time and mounting pushback, prioritizing the highest-impact strategies is critical, and this report identifies a broad set of existing and emerging solutions with immediate potential.

Our analysis shows that a combination of strategies — from material substitution and design optimization to electrification and carbon capture — is essential to achieving the necessary emissions reductions. It also shows that everyone in CLF’s network has a role to play: changes in manufacturing, design, and procurement, supported by private- and public-sector policies and incentives, are key to accelerating the transition to a lower-carbon construction sector. 

We hope this report helps you see embodied carbon reduction not as an abstract challenge, but as a set of concrete opportunities. Dive in, and identify one way these pathways can inform your work — whether you’re shaping policy, specifying materials, or influencing procurement decisions. Progress is already underway, and there’s a role for everyone in moving it forward.

The embodied carbon of key construction materials used in buildings and infrastructure in the United States is significant and requires deployment of a large range of strategies. While challenges remain, existing technologies and strategies can deliver meaningful reductions in the near term. Success will depend on rapid policy action, cross-sector collaboration, and sustained investment in both proven and emerging solutions.

This report was published in August 2025.

This session brings the findings of the report Growing and Greening Canadian Construction: Five Ways for Canadian Construction Companies to Build More and Emit Less to life by connecting its most impactful actions to real major projects. Participants will explore how procurement levers, grid-first site setups, and near-term shifts in fuels and equipment can meaningfully reduce emissions without compromising operational excellence.

This webinar will explore the importance and utility of specifying a target application in ready-mix concrete EPDs and convey the key findings from a meta-analysis of the GWP of 47,413 ready-mix concrete EPDs.

Learn the essentials of embodied carbon and its impact on sustainable construction. This webinar covers key concepts, Canadian standards, and practical strategies for reducing carbon in steel projects. Explore EPDs, life-cycle assessments, and design considerations through real-world case studies. Gain actionable insights to meet embodied carbon targets and support a net-zero future.

Join a growing movement of researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and advocates working to decarbonize the building sector.

Ways to participate:

• Join the CLF Network – Connect with 10,000+ professionals worldwide

• Participate in regional CLF hubs

• Share or submit resources and case studies

• Attend CLF-hosted events and webinars

• Advocate for embodied carbon policies in your state

Your voice strengthens the community and accelerates progress.

Über das Carbon Leadership Forum

Wer wir sind

• The Carbon Leadership Forum accelerates transformation of the building sector to radically reduce the embodied carbon in building materials and construction.
• We pioneer research, create resources, foster cross-sector collaboration, and incubate member-led initiatives to bring embodied carbon emissions of buildings down to zero.
• We are architects, engineers, contractors, material suppliers, building owners, and policymakers who care about the future and take bold steps to eliminate embodied carbon from buildings and infrastructure.

www.carbonleadershipforum.org

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