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Building A Low Carbon Future:Exploring Feedstocks & Products For Canada’s Construction Sector In 2023, CanmetENERGY initiated a project to advance the use of carbon storing materials in building enclosures designed for industrial construction. While some of these materials are established and proven, many promising alternatives require research. This report identifies and assesses low carbon and carbon storing feedstocks and products with near term potential for integration into industrialized construction, highlighting actionable opportunities that align with Canada’s climate goals. These solutions offer not only significant environmental benefits, but also opportunities to strengthen regional economies, enhance domestic manufacturing, and support Canadian farmers, foresters, and waste management industries. |
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Embodied Carbon Pathways for Canadian Residential Equipment While energy efficiency standards have helped to improve operational performance of residential equipment and appliances, embodied emissions from manufacturing, refrigerants, and equipment replacement remain largely overlooked. This study investigated the embodied carbon implications of a range of residential equipment and appliances, alongside a standards landscape review, in order to identify major data and methodological gaps. The report offers 15 recommendations to integrate embodied carbon, refrigerant management, and service life into Canadian residential equipment standards. Together, these pathways provide a road map to make residential equipment more durable, efficient, and climate-aligned. |
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Embodied Carbon Regulation in Canada's Building Codes This report was commissioned by Natural Resources Canada to support the work of the National Model Code Committee on Climate Change Mitigation in developing embodied carbon requirements for housing and small buildings as part of the 2030 code cycle. It is intended to provide a summary of research on the topic done to date and highlight key takeaways about Part 9 buildings in Canada. |
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The Carbon Story of Cellulose Insulation
Recognizing that carbon emission reductions in the built environment are crucial for climate change mitigation, CIMA hired BfCA in 2023 to explore the challenges, benefits, and opportunities within the insulation industry. The resulting report examines the potential of cellulose insulation to meet low-carbon product requirements and offer opportunities for carbon storage aligned with CO2 removal targets. 
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Vancouver Part 9 Material Emissions Benchmark Report
The City of Vancouver aims to reduce embodied carbon in new buildings by 40% by 2030. To achieve this, a benchmark of current emissions is needed. This study assesses the carbon footprint of 13 typical new homes using as-built plans, focusing on the structure, enclosure, and partitions. Using the BEAM estimator tool, each home was modeled, generating a valuable data set. 
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EMBARC Report
We partnered with Passive Buildings Canada to undertake the world's most comprehensive benchmark study of the carbon footprint of over 500 residential buildings, focusing on the Greater Toronto area. Funded by with The Atmospheric Fund. 
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Nelson Benchmark Study
The cities of Nelson and Castlegar, BC wondered if there might be a material emissions penalty for homes achieving higher steps of energy efficiency. We found no direct correlation between material and operational emissions in these 34 homes. We also found that, on average, material emissions will outweigh operational emissions for 23 years! 
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Nelson Material Carbon
Emissions Guide The City of Nelson used results from a beta version of our material emissions estimator to create a guide that quickly rates the carbon footprint of five high-impact material categories. This guide provides a highly visual and intuitive comparison of materials in categories with lots of competing products and big differences in emissions. 
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Build Beyond Zero book
Coming June, 2022 In Build Beyond Zero, carbon pioneers Bruce King and Chris Magwood re-envision buildings as one of our most practical and affordable climate solutions instead of leading drivers of climate change. They provide a snapshot of a beginning and map towards a carbon-smart built environment. 
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Carbon-storing materials report
Builders for Climate Action's Director, Chris Magwood, was a co-author of this ground-breaking report from the Carbon Leadership Forum. The study found that a sizable reduction (~60%) in embodied carbon is possible in two to three years by bringing readily-available low-carbon materials into wider use. Furthermore, this work predicts that fostering a carbon-storing material supply system by investing in the development and manufacturing of nascent carbon-storing materials industries will make a carbon-positive future for individual projects possible in three to five years. |
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Transformative Carbon-Storing Materials
Builders for Climate Action's Director, Chris Magwood, was a co-author of this ground-breaking report from the Carbon Leadership Forum. Findings from this study highlight six materials for use in building foundations, structures, and/or enclosure systems. These materials—earthen slabs, non-portland cement concrete slabs, algae-grown bricks/panels, mycelium structural tubes, purpose-grown fiber, and agricultural waste panels—warrant in-depth examination because they offer novel material technologies or novel material uses with high carbon-storing potential, and they are worthy of investment to accelerate their scaling, manufacturing, and marketable use in the building industry supply chain. |
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Opportunities for CO2 Capture and Storage in Building Materials
In 2018, Chris Magwood's produced a thesis paper that brought attention to the sizeable material emissions from low-rise residential buildings, and demonstrated the potential for carbon storing materials to eliminate all low-rise emissions. 
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