Managing Carbon Risk in Construction Projects

BUILDING A LOW-CARBON FUTURE FOR CONCRETE: PRACTICAL PATHWAYS The next decade will decide whether our bridges lock in high emissions — or become the backbone of a low-carbon infrastructure. Concrete accounts for ~7% of global CO₂ emissions, but we already have practical tools to cut the footprint while protecting durability and constructability. Owners, DOTs, and producers can act now: 1. Low-clinker cements (Portland-Limestone / Type IL): 5–12% CO₂ savings with minor mix adjustments. Monitor setting, admixture response, and early strength. 2. SCMs (fly ash, slag, silica fume, nano/colloidal silica): Lower clinker per m³, boost durability. Require supplier prequalification, traceability, and compatibility testing. 3. CO₂ mineralization & CCUS: Commercial precast pilots already inject captured CO₂ into mixes, permanently storing carbon and improving properties. Start small with precast or non-critical spans. 4. Bio-cements & novel chemistries: Promising for repairs, overlays, and pore filling. Not yet universal, but valuable for targeted use cases. Performance-first: Specify performance envelopes (strength, permeability, freeze–thaw, petrography) instead of prescriptive recipes. Pair carbon targets (kgCO₂e/m³) with clear verification and traceable supplier documentation. IMPLEMENTATION ROADMAP: Pick pilot scope (precast, non-critical span). Prequalify PLC/SCMs, run compatibility tests. Trial paired pours & measure performance. Track CO₂ reductions with verified tools. Scale with training & updated QA/QC. Common pitfalls: assuming SCMs are “drop-ins,” vague carbon accounting, ignoring early strength curves. All manageable with testing and communication. SUM AND SUBSTANCE : Low-carbon concrete is not a concept — it’s ready now. Pilot → prove → scale. The sooner we start, the longer our bridges will last and the lighter their footprint will be. #ConcreteInnovation #BridgeMaintenance #SustainableConstruction #ConcreteTechnology #JonBelkowitz #PublicWorks #DOT #SmartInfrastructure #Beton

The construction industry faces a significant challenge in reducing its carbon footprint, with cement production alone contributing about 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. To address the urgent need for sustainable practices, the European Biochar Industry's (EBI) Materials Working Group has released a position paper exploring biochar's use in concrete as a long-term carbon removal solution. This innovative approach not only reduces dependence on traditional cement but also sequesters carbon for thousands of years, offering dual benefits against climate change. Biochar, a carbon-rich material from pyrolysing organic waste, shows great promise in this context. When produced at temperatures above 550°C, biochar forms carbon structures similar to inertinite, a highly stable organic carbon found in Earth's crust. This stability ensures biochar can sequester carbon for millennia, making it ideal for permanent storage. A study led by Professor Hamed Sanei at Aarhus University confirms the stability of biochar produced under these conditions, highlighting its potential as a long-term carbon sink. EBI’s position paper delves into the technical and broader implications of using biochar in concrete. Integrating biochar into concrete mixes supports a broader carbon removal strategy by replacing part of the cement and reducing emissions while enhancing concrete’s mechanical properties such as strength, durability, and thermal insulation. Biochar-infused concrete is practical for large-scale use with existing technology. The paper also addresses the end-of-life scenario for biochar-concrete products, outlining how biochar remains securely embedded in the concrete matrix during typical recycling processes. Jaw and impact crushers, commonly used in recycling, do not expose biochar to temperatures that could reverse carbon sequestration, ensuring the carbon storage remains intact even during repurposing or recycling. The position paper provides a comprehensive overview of biochar’s potential to decarbonise the construction industry. It examines the technical feasibility of integrating biochar into concrete and discusses its role in long-term carbon removal. By adopting biochar, producers can significantly reduce emissions and contribute to a more sustainable future. The paper emphasises the need for coordinated action across the construction ecosystem, from updating national standards to integrating biochar into carbon credit portfolios. In conclusion, biochar in concrete offers a scalable, durable, and effective method for reducing emissions and ensuring long-term carbon storage, making it essential for future sustainable building practices. Full Position Paper: https://lnkd.in/dfACVzvA For more information or to discuss project trials: BioChar@Unyte.co.uk #Construction #decarbonisation #biochar #unytehemp #unytebiochar #hemp #carbon #netzero #unytegroup #unyted

We used to build buildings and walk away. Design it. Fund it. Construct it. Move on. What happened 10, 20, 50 years later? Not our problem. That mindset doesn’t work anymore. As an owner of long-term multifamily assets, I can tell you this: 1. The real cost of a building isn’t the construction budget. 2. It’s the lifetime performance. Energy. Maintenance. Retrofits. Resilience. And yes…carbon impact. We measure everything else in real estate: - Cost per unit - Cap rate - NOI - Cash-on-cash But we rarely measure the full environmental footprint of what we own. The built environment represents one of the largest carbon contributors globally. And most of it is already standing. So the conversation isn’t just about “green new builds.” It’s about: 1. Existing assets 2. Renovation strategies 3. Operational efficiency 4. Smarter material choices 5. Measuring before marketing And let’s be clear…certifications alone won’t solve it. You can’t manage what you don’t measure. Just like we quantify budgets through takeoffs and line items, we need to quantify carbon through data and baselines. Start small. Measure your portfolio. Understand the baseline. Improve year over year. In real estate, what gets measured gets managed. Carbon will be no different. — Owners & operators: are you measuring energy and carbon at the asset level yet? Or is it still a line item buried in utilities?

Carbon data is moving 𝘂𝗽𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 in construction. Design tools now treat it like cost or performance. Great example: Autodesk’s new Fusion platform now has a Manufacturing Sustainability Insights add-on that shows embodied carbon in real time as you model. Gensler’s gBlox.CO₂ tool does the same, letting architects compare carbon impacts of design choices at the very start of a project. That changes 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 carbon data shows up. Instead of arriving late in procurement, it’s influencing decisions upstream, while projects are still being shaped. On the other side, Buy Clean laws are pushing carbon data deeper into procurement, with requirements for Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and maximum global warming potential (GWP) thresholds. Together, these shifts are aligning demand and supply around the same standard. → 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 as part of their workflow → 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 at the point of bidding → 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗘𝗣𝗗𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 or risk being left out of both conversations What that really means: 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗘𝗣𝗗𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱. They’re how producers enter the market, and how designers and contractors make informed choices. That’s progress. Carbon isn’t a background thing; it’s visible, comparable, and shaping decisions from the first sketch to the final bid.

🌎 Climate risk isn’t a future scenario — it’s already a financial reality reshaping the built environment. Hamoda Youssef and I recorded this during Greenbuild because we’re seeing the same pattern across portfolios everywhere: climate risks are accelerating faster than owners are able to implement mitigation and adaptation strategies. We fully acknowledge the challenges owners are facing today: 📉 a capital-constrained market, 📊 competing priorities across portfolios, 🏗️ limited bandwidth for project delivery, and 💵 rising costs of debt, insurance, and operations. But the message throughout the Sustainable Finance and Investing Forum was clear: • Insurance markets are repricing risk — premiums are spiking, coverage is shrinking, and many assets are becoming uninsurable. • Transition risk is now a balance-sheet issue — carbon-intensive and inefficient buildings face escalating fines, energy volatility, and valuation pressure. • Delay is the highest-cost strategy — stranded assets, climate-driven capex shocks, and preventable downtime are already eroding returns. • Capital is available for the right projects — from resilience-linked loans and C-PACE to incentives, structured finance, and the new generation of performance-based funding models. And most importantly: 💡 Owners do not need to solve everything at once. Practical steps — from operational optimization and climate risk screening to electrification planning, BPS compliance prep, and resilience upgrades — can be staged, sequenced, and financed over time. 💸 Every $1 invested in adaptation saves up to $10 in avoided losses. The ROI is real, measurable, and happening now. Even in a tight market, inaction is simply too risky — financially, operationally, and competitively. Resilience is no longer optional. It’s risk management. It’s fiduciary duty. And it’s the smart business move. Greenbuild showed that the momentum, tools, and capital are here. Now the industry needs leaders ready to move from intention to implementation. Resiliency now.

As someone who’s spent time in construction and project planning, I’ve seen the impact our material and design choices have, not just on the environment, but on communities, clients, and future generations. Measuring a project’s carbon footprint, from embodied carbon in materials to operational emissions, might feel like extra work at first, but it’s an investment that pays off for everyone. Tracking carbon helps us make smarter choices, reduce waste, optimize supply chains, and meet growing client expectations for sustainable buildings. Tools like EC3 and Autodesk Takeoff make this process easier, automating calculations and letting teams compare materials quickly. It’s not always simple to change how we work, but the benefits are enormous: lower emissions, reduced costs over time, and buildings that stand as examples of responsibility and innovation. #SustainableConstruction #CarbonReduction #GreenBuilding