[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.19.2″ _module_preset=”default” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_fullwidth_header title=”The History of the Carbon Leadership Forum” _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”default” background_image=”https:\/\/carbonleadershipforum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/WWD_hero.jpg” module_alignment=”left” custom_margin=”|auto||0px|false|false” custom_padding=”|0px||0px|false|true” custom_padding_phone=”|0px||0px|false|true” title_line_height_phone=”70px” title_line_height_last_edited=”off|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_fullwidth_header][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.22.2″ use_background_color_gradient=”on” background_color_gradient_direction=”90deg” background_color_gradient_stops=”#ffffff 50%|rgba(12,113,195,0) 50%” background_color_gradient_overlays_image=”on” background_color_gradient_start=”#ffffff” background_color_gradient_start_position=”50%” background_color_gradient_end=”rgba(12,113,195,0)” background_color_gradient_end_position=”0%” background_image=”https:\/\/carbonleadershipforum.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/CLF-Take-Action-scaled-2.jpg” height=”50vh” custom_padding=”10vh|3vh||3vh|false|false” top_divider_style=”arrow” top_divider_color=”rgba(238,238,238,0.7)” top_divider_height=”50vh” top_divider_repeat=”1x” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”bee62de2-a2fc-45d5-825a-a2599a7d351d” text_font=”|600|||||||” text_line_height=”1.8em” header_2_font=”Source Sans Pro|700||on|||||” header_2_text_color=”#0075A9″ header_2_font_size=”80px” header_4_font=”Source Sans Pro||||||||” header_4_text_color=”#0075A9″ header_4_line_height=”1.4em” header_2_font_size_tablet=”60px” header_2_font_size_phone=”35px” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” header_4_font_size_tablet=”20px” header_4_font_size_phone=”14px” header_4_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”bee62de2-a2fc-45d5-825a-a2599a7d351d” text_font=”|600|||||||” text_line_height=”1.8em” header_2_font=”Oswald|500||on|||||” header_2_text_color=”#0075A9″ header_2_font_size=”80px” header_4_font=”Merriweather||||||||” header_4_text_color=”#0075A9″ header_4_line_height=”1.4em” max_width=”47%” header_2_font_size_tablet=”60px” header_2_font_size_phone=”35px” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” header_4_font_size_tablet=”20px” header_4_font_size_phone=”14px” header_4_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
For nearly seventeen years, CLF\u2019s vision has been of built environments as a solution to the climate challenge, rather than an existential threat. The core of our work is to lay essential foundations for understanding embodied carbon: a framework for comprehensive strategy, rigorous analysis, and transparent reporting that can support design tools, effective policy, and collective action. Our work has been enabled by development of the global green building movement over four decades.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”COMPANY HISTORY = 117″ _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”4%|3vh|4%|3vh|true|true” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width_tablet=”” width_phone=”” width_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ module_class=”cm_history_117″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_blurb title=”1993″ use_icon=”on” font_icon=”||fa||900″ image_icon_width=”0px” content_max_width=”100%” admin_label=”1993″ module_class=”box_content” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”Poppins|700|||||||” header_text_color=”#FFFFFF” header_font_size=”35px” header_line_height=”45px” body_font=”Poppins||||||||” body_font_size=”16px” body_letter_spacing=”0.3px” body_line_height=”25px” body_link_font=”|700|||||||” body_link_text_color=”#0075A9″ animation=”off” hover_enabled=”0″ custom_css_blurb_content=”font-weight:400;” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
It\u2019s fair to date the inception of the modern US green building movement to April 1993 with the first meeting of the US Green Building Council and the first glimmer of the LEED standard for buildings. In those early days, people talked about \u201csustainable materials,\u201d but had no easy way to describe what such a material was, or the critical role played by embodied carbon, and data was not available to compare or select low-carbon materials. In consequence, the focus of LEED and USGBC for a quarter century was reducing operational carbon\u2014or carbon emissions associated with the energy use of construction and buildings. The latest version of LEED now includes an emphasis on reducing the embodied carbon of materials and construction.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb title=”2005″ use_icon=”on” font_icon=”||fa||900″ image_icon_width=”0px” content_max_width=”100%” admin_label=”2005″ module_class=”box_content” _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”Poppins|700|||||||” header_text_color=”#FFFFFF” header_font_size=”35px” header_line_height=”45px” body_font=”Poppins||||||||” body_text_color=”#414042″ body_font_size=”16px” body_letter_spacing=”0.3px” body_line_height=”25px” body_link_font=”|700|||||||” body_link_text_color=”#0075A9″ animation=”off” custom_css_blurb_content=”font-weight:400;” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
In 2005, Ed Mazria<\/a> and Architecture 2030<\/a> issued the 2030 Challenge. The initiative comprised incremental carbon reduction goals over a 25-year timeline that were consistent with those called for by the global scientific community at the time. Meeting the targets would mean that all new buildings and major renovations would be zero carbon by 2030. The Challenge has since been adopted by architectural design firms, states, cities, counties, the American Institute of Architects<\/a> (AIA), International Union of Architects, US Conference of Mayors, and the China Accord.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb title=”2006″ use_icon=”on” font_icon=”||fa||900″ image_icon_width=”0px” content_max_width=”100%” admin_label=”2006″ module_class=”box_content” _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”Poppins|700|||||||” header_text_color=”#FFFFFF” header_font_size=”35px” header_line_height=”45px” body_font=”Poppins||||||||” body_font_size=”16px” body_letter_spacing=”0.3px” body_line_height=”25px” body_link_font=”|700|||||||” body_link_text_color=”#0075A9″ animation=”off” custom_css_blurb_content=”font-weight:400;” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The Living Building Challenge<\/a>, an international sustainable building certification program, was created in 2006 by the non-profit International Living Future Institute (ILFI). The end goal of the Challenge was to encourage the creation of a regenerative built environment at all scales, from buildings\u2014both in new constructions and renovations\u2014to infrastructure, landscapes, neighborhoods, both urban and rural communities, including all aspects of performance such as energy, place, water, health and happiness, equity, and beauty.\u00a0In recent years, the Challenge has evolved to include the reduction of embodied carbon.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb title=”2009-10″ use_icon=”on” font_icon=”||fa||900″ admin_label=”2009-10″ _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”175d77bf-8bfe-4c2c-b5c1-aeb41d6bf517″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n A group of self-described \u201ccarbon nerds\u201d gathered on September 10th, 2009 in an office on Market Street in San Francisco. Meeting attendees recognized that buildings and infrastructure, and the materials used to construct them, have a sizable carbon footprint<\/a>\u2014otherwise known as embodied carbon. The meeting\u2019s purpose was to inaugurate a new initiative called the \u201cCarbon Leadership Forum (CLF),\u201d describing CLF\u2019s mission as: “To drive carbon footprint standards for the built environment.” They discussed the urgency of the problem, the need for carbon accounting to drive change, and the project of setting new carbon standards for the building industry. They asked a big question: What would it take to enable and accelerate collective action to decarbonize built environments?<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb title=”2011″ use_icon=”on” font_icon=”||fa||900″ admin_label=”2011″ _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”175d77bf-8bfe-4c2c-b5c1-aeb41d6bf517″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n On February 14, 2011, Architecture 2030<\/a> issued the 2030 Challenge for Products<\/a>, a plan to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions resulting from the manufacturing and transportation of building products. On the same day, Kate Simonen, founding executive director of the new CLF and then an assistant professor of architecture and engineering at the University of Washington, announced that the CLF would have a home at the University\u2019s College of Built Environments<\/a>, and would work to help the building industry meet the 2030 Challenge for Products.\u00a0\u201cWithout good data, clear standards and industry collaboration, we will not be able to accurately predict and reduce the carbon impact of building materials and products,\u201d said Kate Simonen. \u201cThe 2030 Challenge for Products provides critical leadership to motivate development of low-carbon industries and rigorous environmental performance standards. Ambitious targets for carbon reduction cannot be met by increasing energy efficiency alone.”<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb title=”2012″ use_icon=”on” font_icon=”||fa||900″ admin_label=”2012″ module_id=”2012″ _builder_version=”4.25.2″ _module_preset=”175d77bf-8bfe-4c2c-b5c1-aeb41d6bf517″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n In 2012, the CLF developed and published version 1.0 of a North American Product Category Rule<\/a> (PCR) for concrete, the most widely-used building material in the world. PCRs are sets of rules and requirements<\/a> that guide measuring and reporting a specific product\u2019s life cycle impact when conducting an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD).The PCR was initiated in May of 2011 by the CLF in response to a request by CLF sponsors. The first draft for stakeholder comments was published on Feb 14, 2012 and was open for a review period of 45 days. Over 200 comments were received and integrated into a revised version. A second version of the PCR was posted for public comment on August 15, 2012 and was open for a review period of 20 days. 370 comments were received and integrated into this revised version.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb title=”2013″ use_icon=”on” font_icon=”||fa||900″ admin_label=”2013″ _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”175d77bf-8bfe-4c2c-b5c1-aeb41d6bf517″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The CLF\u2019s concrete PCR published in 2012 laid the basis for the first publication of an Environmental Product Declaration<\/a> (EPD) by ready-mix concrete supplier Central Concrete, a sponsor of the CLF, in April 2013. Often compared to a nutrition label, EPDs provide the facts and transparency needed to make informed decisions as they relate to such characteristics as global warming potential, ozone depletion and water use. Central Concrete was also the first U.S. company, in any industry, to produce EPDs at the individual product level. This is in contrast to EPDs that are developed for classes of products, an approach that diminishes the value of the EPD because specific product performance characteristics are only matched to general environmental impacts within a category.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb title=”2014″ use_icon=”on” font_icon=”||fa||900″ admin_label=”2014″ _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”175d77bf-8bfe-4c2c-b5c1-aeb41d6bf517″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n A handbook for architects and building industry professionals, Life Cycle Assessment<\/a><\/em>\u00a0by CLF founding executive director Kate Simonen was published by Routledge and released April 11th, 2014.\u00a0 The handbook included technical information and explanation of life cycle assessment methodology, data, and applications for building practice, and addressed the dynamic and dialectic of building and ecology, presenting the key theories and techniques surrounding the use of life cycle assessment data and methods.\u00a0Although a simple CLF web page had existed before 2014, the organization published its first complete web site that year. You can visit the original 2014 CLF website, now preserved in the Internet Archive<\/a>.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb title=”2015-16″ use_icon=”on” font_icon=”||fa||900″ admin_label=”2015″ _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”175d77bf-8bfe-4c2c-b5c1-aeb41d6bf517″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n In September of 2015, the Carbon Leadership Forum organized and hosted the\u00a0<\/span>Low Carbon Building Summit<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>at the University of Washington, bringing together leaders from across the North American building industry for a two-day program focused on life cycle assessment (LCA) concepts, methods, results, and resources, use of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs to drive development of low carbon materials, and LCA case studies of buildings to identify options for carbon reduction.\u00a0The following month, October 2015 CLF partnered with the\u00a0<\/span>US Green Building Council<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>CERES<\/a>, a network of influential investors and companies integrating environmental, social, and governance practices into core business strategies, to issue the\u00a0<\/span>Building and Real Estate Climate Declaration<\/a>, (preserved in the Internet Archive) calling on the building and real estate sector to direct action to realize the opportunity of a low carbon economy.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb title=”2017″ use_icon=”on” font_icon=”||fa||900″ admin_label=”2017″ _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”175d77bf-8bfe-4c2c-b5c1-aeb41d6bf517″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The Carbon Leadership forum published its landmark Embodied Carbon Benchmark Study<\/a> as the first stage of the LCA for Low Carbon Construction project funded by The Charles Pankow Foundation, Skanska USA and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. The Study compiled over 1,000 LCA building-level studies in an interactive database, the first attempt in North America to provide a quantitative starting point to drive low-carbon construction.\u00a0Early 2017 also saw the launch of CLFs first online community, the Embodied Carbon Network (ECN), with over 200 members in its first year. The ECN was renamed two years later to the CLF Community<\/a>. In May of 2017, CLF launched a newly redesigned website, now preserved in the Internet Archive, using the signature purple color of the CLF\u2019s host, the University of Washington.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb title=”2018″ use_icon=”on” font_icon=”||fa||900″ admin_label=”2018″ _builder_version=”4.27.2″ _module_preset=”175d77bf-8bfe-4c2c-b5c1-aeb41d6bf517″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The Carbon Leadership Forum hosted\u00a0Carbon Smart Building Day<\/a>, a day-long conference with over 300 attendees representing over 200 companies in San Francisco on September 11, 2018, affiliated with the Global Climate Action Summit. The Day aimed to accelerate a global movement to decarbonize the built environment, including both operational and embodied carbon, sharing the latest tools, resources and programs, and to make all new buildings healthy, equitable and just. Over 100 companies signed the Carbon Smart Building Declaration, calling for reeduction of both embodied and operational carbon along with creating healthy buildings for healthy communities. The Day concluded with the bullhorn-supported reading of the Declaration<\/a> by Andrew Himes with Kate Simonen. Also in 2018, the CLF published Life Cycle Assessment of Buildings: A Practice Guide<\/a>, a step-by-step LCA primer and technical guidance document. The Practice Guide introduces the use of LCA to analyze the environmental impacts of buildings in order to help building professionals apply LCA in practice. The SE 2050 Challenge<\/a> aimed to inspire structural engineers to measure progress made toward a zero carbon building sector vision for 2050. In response, the Structural Engineering Institute adopted the\u00a0SE 2050 Commitment<\/a>, obligating signatory structural engineering firms to meet embodied carbon benchmarks and targets, and challenging structural engineers to collect quantifiable structural material data from building projects.<\/p>\n Read the Impact Report<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb title=”2019″ use_icon=”on” font_icon=”||fa||900″ admin_label=”2019″ _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”175d77bf-8bfe-4c2c-b5c1-aeb41d6bf517″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n In February, 2019, the CLF published the\u00a0Buy Clean Washington Study<\/a>, an innovative and comprehensive analysis of proposed legislation in Washington State to mandate the procurement of low embodied carbon materials in building and infrastructure projects funded by public funds.\u00a0At Greenbuild in November, 2019, the Carbon Leadership Forum released the\u00a0Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3)<\/a>\u00a0tool, a free, cloud-based, easy to use tool that allows benchmarking, assessment and reductions in embodied carbon, focused on the upfront supply chain emissions of construction materials, based on a robust database of digital, third-party verified Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), allowing the building industry to make carbon smart choices during material specifications and procurement. \u00a0Skanska USA<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0C Change Labs<\/a>\u00a0conceived of the solution, and the CLF incubated the project to accelerate its development. The CLF provided the first version of the\u00a0Material Baselines<\/a>\u00a0used by the EC3 tool to compare product EPDs and enable practitioners to make low-carbon decisions (and continues to publish updated versions). After Greenbuild, a new nonprofit, Building Transparency<\/a>, was formed to continue EC3 development.\u00a0In September, CLF invited 12 other leading nonprofits to form the\u00a0NGO\/Government Roundtable on Embodied Carbon<\/a>, to share news, strategic plans, resources, and tools; report on conferences, webinars, and meetings; inspire and facilitate ongoing communication; and encourage convergence on shared terminology, data standards, benchmarks, and targets.<\/p>\n Read the Impact Report<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb title=”2020″ use_icon=”on” font_icon=”||fa||900″ admin_label=”2020″ module_id=”2020″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”175d77bf-8bfe-4c2c-b5c1-aeb41d6bf517″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The\u00a0Wood Carbon Seminars<\/a> was a webinar series hosted by the Carbon Leadership Forum in the Spring of 2020, bringing together wood experts to answer common and critical questions about the carbon impacts of wood from the building industry. The webinars were organized around four main categories: 1) Background and Basics, 2) LCA and Wood, 3) Tracking Biogenic Carbon in North America, and 4) Wood and the Building Industry. Leading up to the release of the EC3 tool in November 2019, many wood experts had pointed out issues with how we were presenting wood LCA data in the tool.\u00a0Sustainability-oriented AEC professionals were interested in using wood for its environmental benefits<\/a>, but also wary of the negative consequences of logging and didn\u2019t want to drive deforestation.\u00a0In the fall of 2019, CLF member Anthony Pak in Vancouver, BC posed an inspired question: What if CLF members in Vancouver, and then in cities around the world, could connect in local networks to share best practices, discuss solutions, and spread the word about how we can decarbonize the built environment?<\/em> The idea spread rapidly, and by the end of 2020\u00a0CLF Regional Hubs<\/a>\u00a0had been launched in a dozen cities with another dozen being formed.<\/p>\n Read the Impact Report<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb title=”2021″ use_icon=”on” font_icon=”||fa||900″ admin_label=”2021″ _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”175d77bf-8bfe-4c2c-b5c1-aeb41d6bf517″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n In February, 2021, CLF launched the\u00a0Embodied Carbon Policy Toolkit<\/a>, including an array of resources to support the crafting of policies to radically reduce embodied carbon, education about Buy Clean, guidance on carbon disclosure, steps to develop and guidance to implement Buy Clean policy, CLF’s new policy map<\/a> displayed a handful of existing public policies aimed at reducing embodied carbon emissions in materials and construction. (Since then, embodied carbon policies have exploded in number, both in North American and across the globe.) Also in February, CLF published a seminal research paper on Carbon-Storing Materials<\/a>, with a focus on biogenic materials.\u00a0In April, CLF published the Embodied Carbon Toolkit for Building Owners<\/a>, including overview of the opportunity for investors, developers, building owners and tenants to radically reduce embodied carbon and an array of resources to support action with company-wide policies and practices. Also in April, CLF hosted the Leadership Summit for Wood, Climate, and Forests<\/a>. In July, CLF published 2021 Material Baselines<\/a>. Finally, in November CLF partnered with the American Institute of Architects (AIA) to publish the AIA-CLF Embodied Carbon Toolkit for Architects<\/a>.<\/p>\n Read the Impact Report<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb title=”2022″ use_icon=”on” font_icon=”||fa||900″ admin_label=”2022″ _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”175d77bf-8bfe-4c2c-b5c1-aeb41d6bf517″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n In the fall of 2021, CLF had issued the MEP 2040 Challenge at the initiative of a group of CLF partners who were building system engineers. In March of 2022, the new steering committee of the MEP 2040 Commitment<\/a> hosted the first of many Quarterly Forums supporting the decarbonization of MEP systems. In July, the CLF was awarded a four-year, $4M grant to support development of data, methods and tools to assess and optimize the carbon storing potential<\/a> of novel materials and building systems (POD|LCA). In October, CLF’s research team completed the pilot stage of version 2 of the Whole Building LCA Benchmark Study<\/a> integrating over 100 full building models (materials and LCA impacts) into a research database. Policy staff provided technical support to policy makers<\/a> throughout the year, including on the use of IRA funding<\/a>, informed Buy Clean policies in five states, and evaluated transportation infrastructure embodied carbon. In October, three programs initiated by the CLF (MEP 2040<\/a>, SE 2050<\/a> & CLF Hubs<\/a>) were highlighted in a White House Fact Sheet<\/a> as examples of industry decarbonization action. In June, CLF published an Embodied Carbon Policy Educational Series<\/a> that includes prerecorded videos and curriculum for in-person local discussions.<\/p>\n Read the Impact Report<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb title=”2023″ use_icon=”on” font_icon=”||fa||900″ admin_label=”2023″ _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”175d77bf-8bfe-4c2c-b5c1-aeb41d6bf517″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n On February 3, the CLF released a new report highlighting ten case studies of policies<\/a> driving lower carbon construction across the Pacific Coast. In March, CLF officially launched Phases 2 and 3 of the Whole Building LCA Benchmark Study<\/a>: a) development of the \u201cCalifornia Total Carbon Report\u201d focused on the whole-life carbon impacts of buildings in California, and b) gathering data and conducting stakeholder engagement to support the larger \u201cNorth American Benchmark and Public Database.\u201d CLF’s first infrastructure research study<\/a> was published in April. The 2023 CLF North American Material Baselines Report<\/a> went public in August. Throughout the year, CLF staff participated in a number of national and international industry standards committees, and CLF policy staff provided advice and consultation on developing and implementing embodied carbon policy<\/a> for the US federal government, over 20 state governments, and countless municipalities. In September, CLF announced the Embodied Carbon Harmonization and Optimization (ECHO) Project<\/a>, an historic and collaborative move by a group of built environment industry groups and movement leaders to tackle the issue of rapidly reducing embodied carbon in the built environment by ensuring that all embodied carbon reporting at the whole building and whole project scale (including landscapes and infrastructure) in the US follow the same clear definitions and scopes of included impacts.<\/p>\n Read the Impact Report<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb title=”2024″ use_icon=”on” font_icon=”||fa||900″ admin_label=”2024″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”175d77bf-8bfe-4c2c-b5c1-aeb41d6bf517″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The\u00a0<\/span>Carbon Leadership Forum<\/b>\u00a0<\/span>became an independent nonprofit organization to double down on our urgent research, education, and cross-sector collaboration that drives the data, tools, and policy changes needed to eliminate embodied carbon from buildings and infrastructure. Kate Simonen<\/a> continues to oversee CLF as board chair, while organizational management is led by Anthony Hickling<\/a> as CLF\u2019s new executive director and Meghan Lewis<\/a> as CLF\u2019s new program director.\u00a0At the same time, Kate maintains an academic research group at the UW College of Built Environments under the newly named\u00a0<\/span>Life Cycle Lab<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>to lead embodied carbon and life cycle assessment research that informs policy and practice. The Life Cycle Lab supports the next generation of researchers and pursues critical embodied carbon research with an increased focus on academic publications. The Life Cycle Lab remains a strong, collaborative partner with the CLF.<\/p>\n Read the Announcement<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb title=”2025″ use_icon=”on” font_icon=”||fa||900″ admin_label=”2025″ module_id=”2025″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”175d77bf-8bfe-4c2c-b5c1-aeb41d6bf517″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n CLF research staff published a slew of significant reports and technical publications intended to significantly shift and accelerate embodied carbon action, including: a first-ever survey of international availability for EPDs<\/a>, an analysis of pathways required for reaching 2050 decarbonization goals<\/a>, the final WBLCA Benchmark Report<\/a>, updated North American Material Baselines<\/a> for 2025, and a set of built project case studies<\/a>. CLF staff helped to enable and then reported on crucial progress in rolling out embodied carbon policies and programs<\/a>, including a mandatory green code in California, embodied carbon reduction strategies in Colorado, and a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism in Europe. CLF hosted a first in-person summit for the thriving network of CLF Regional Hubs<\/a> focused on effective policy innovation and activation.[\/et_pb_blurb][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_code admin_label=”CSS CODE HERE (DON’T REMOVE IT)” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||0px||true|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\nInternational Living Future Institute and the Living Building Challenge<\/h5>\n
Founding of the Carbon Leadership Forum<\/h5>\n
2030 Challenge for Products;\u00a0CLF Hosted by the UW<\/h5>\n
Concrete PCR for North America<\/h5>\n
First publication of a Concrete EPD<\/h5>\n
Publication of Kate Simonen’s Life Cycle Assessment<\/em><\/h5>\n
Low Carbon Building Summit<\/h5>\n
Embodied Carbon Benchmark Study<\/h5>\n
Carbon Smart Building Day; LCA Practice Guide; SE 2050 Challenge<\/h5>\n
Buy Clean; EC3 Tool; Material Baselines; NGO\/Government Roundtable<\/h5>\n
Wood Carbon Seminars; Regional Hubs<\/h5>\n
Policy Toolkit; Owner’s Toolkit; Leadership Summit for Wood, Climate, and Forests; Carbon-storing Materials<\/h5>\n
POD\/LCA; Whole Building LCA Benchmark Study; MEP 2040 Challenge; Policy Education<\/h5>\n
Material Baselines; WBLCA Benchmarks; Policy Education; Infrastructure Research; ECHO<\/h5>\n
CLF Launched as Independent Nonprofit Organization; Life Cycle Lab Inaugurated at UW<\/h5>\n
International EPD Availability, Embodied Carbon Policies, EC Pathways to Reach 2050 Goals, WBLCA Benchmark Report Material Baselines, Built Project Case Studies, CLF Regional Hubs<\/h5>\n