Sources: BranchPattern, Kansas City; CP staff
The BranchPattern 2024 Embodied Carbon Benchmark Study – Version 2 reveals how the average embodied carbon intensity of U.S. industrial core and shell buildings, excluding site work, decreased over the past year from 23 to 22 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent per square foot (kgCO2e/ft2). Researchers for the national sustainability and engineering firm drew from an expanded dataset of 94 industrial real estate projects—nearly four times the charter study’s sampling. They underscore their study’s signaling of greater attention on embodied carbon from developers, designers, and manufacturers or suppliers.
Their study is posted here.
Authors quantify embodied carbon contributors across various construction materials, processes, and all phases of the building lifecycle, revealing primary emission sources like the use of concrete and the site pavement process. They also incorporate site work impacts on greenhouse gas emissions metrics, an expansion of industry-standard methodology that proved to be significant. When site work was incorporated in the 2024 study, the average embodied carbon intensity increased to 32.1 kg CO2e/ft². The additional 10.1 kg CO2e/ft² is attributed to a variety of factors detailed in the study and primarily reflects site paving, which is outside the scope of typical Whole Building Life Cycle Assessments.
“In the rapidly evolving landscape of sustainable design and construction, the spotlight on carbon reduction has never been brighter,” says BranchPattern Principal Kristy Walson. “The need for a comprehensive understanding of carbon emissions in the built environment is paramount. At BranchPattern, we are crafting a sustainable future for all by redefining the way we approach and redress the carbon balance.”
Most available data on embodied carbon has centered on office and multi-family sectors, she adds. By expanding the scope to industrial buildings, both the initial and new iterations of the Embodied Carbon Benchmark Study provide critical data for one of the fastest-growing sectors in real estate. The latest findings encourage project principals to make more informed decisions about the materials and construction methods used to achieve substantial reductions in embodied carbon emissions. In addition to enhanced benchmarks, the study provides a deeper analysis of the methodology the industry should use to measure embodied carbon, and outlines attainable reduction strategies being deployed, emphasizing a collaborative, transparent approach to lowering GHG emissions attending construction specifications and methods.
BranchPattern prepared Embodied Carbon Benchmark Study – Version 2 in partnership with leading industrial real estate developers Affinius Capital, Ambrose, Bridge Industrial, Brookfield Properties, Hillwood, IDI Logistics, Link Logistics, Oxford Properties, Prologis and WPT Capital Advisors.