168: Embodied Carbon: A Blindspot in Construction

Sustainable: The Podcast

"We need to shift our relationship with nature, holding it sacred." -Anthony Pak

Making sure that resources are renewed and recycled is what green buildings are for. But have you ever thought about the resources and energy it takes before even making a building?

The manufacturing and transport of these materials have already left a carbon footprint way before construction begins. This carbon footprint combined with the building’s end of life emissions is called: Embodied Carbon.

Today on Sustainable, I talk to Anthony Pak, the founder of the ECN Vancouver, the first local chapter of Embodied Carbon Network. We Discuss the blindspots of the building community and what we should think about and consider before we build buildings. ECN organizes events that empower building industry professionals to become champions for embodied carbon!

In this episode, Anthony talks about his article on Embodied Carbon; and how it has raised awareness and has opened doors to educate the building industry about it.

In this episode, Anthony and I talk about:

• What Embodied Carbon is
• The Blindspots of the Building Industry
• Addressing Embodied Carbon
• Where to get Answers about Embodied Carbon

More about Anthony Pak

Anthony is the Principal of Priopta, one of the first companies in North America to provide a Parametric Life Cycle Assessment consulting service.

Anthony is also the founder of the ECN Vancouver, the first local chapter of Embodied Carbon Network.

LinkedIn

Anthony’s Embodied Carbon Article

More about Embodied Carbon Vancouver:

The Embodied Carbon Network is a growing movement that aims to address the gaps within sustainable construction in a move to prevent the excess production of carbon while we build sustainable cities and communities of the future.

It brings together leading experts in building design to help create dialogue and collaboration to accelerate our transition to a sustainable world.

What does it take to make that building in the first place? think about all the materials that go into it. All those materials have upstream environmental impacts it took something to extract those resources.

Embodied Carbon Vancouver

Mentioned in this episode:

• IPCC Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry
• Work That Reconnects by Joanna Macy
• Embodied Carbon Network
• Eco Expo Asia 2019
• The Urgency of Embodied Carbon and What You Can Do About It

If you enjoyed this, check out episode 17 Sustainable Buildings

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