Sources: ASHRAE, Atlanta; International Code Council, Itasca, Ill.; CP staff
A near-final draft of the proposed Standard 240P – Quantification of Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Buildings, posted here, is available for public comment through July 21. ASHRAE and International Code Council officials aim for the document to a) establish a consistent methodology for quantifying both embodied and operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions over the entire life cycle of buildings and their sites; and, b) outline minimum requirements for emissions documentation. They seek a unified platform that enables building industry professionals, government agencies and the finance and investment sectors to measure, report and act on GHG emissions in a clear and coordinated manner.
“Standard 240P is intended to bring clarity and consistency to how we evaluate embodied emissions throughout the building process,” says 2024-25 ASHRAE President M. Dennis Knight, P.E. “By working with the International Code Council, we are helping ensure that building professionals have practical, standardized tools for emissions accounting that align with broader industry needs.”
“This standard offers a unified framework for GHG accounting, empowering the building industry and related sectors to work from a common platform to measure and report GHG emissions transparently and across a building’s life cycle,” adds ICC Executive Director, Energy, Resilience & Innovation Ryan Colker. “This kind of cross-sector collaboration with ASHRAE is essential to accelerating the transition to a climate-resilient future.”