Spotting Embodied Carbon – COP27

Embodied carbon is an increasingly important dimension in the growing debate on reducing emissions in the built environment. It refers to the carbon emissions that are produced in the supply chain including extraction of raw materials, transportation, manufacturing, and construction of the building itself. It differs from operational carbon, which instead refers to the carbon emissions from the energy consumption of a building. 

This event, organised by Bellona Foundation at COP27, aimed to illustrate the concepts around embodied carbon, its framework and policy needs, and to showcase new low-carbon building materials that can help reduce embodied carbon emissions. In addition to IHRB's Alejandra Rivera participation, speakers included:

• Irene Domínguez Pérez, Policy Analyst, Bellona Foundation 

• Pamela Conrad, Senior Fellow, Architecture 2030 

• Ola Elvestuen, Member of Energy & Environment Committee, Norwegian Parliament 

Alejandra brought the perspective of human rights in built environment processes by contributing often unthought, points about the social risks and opportunities for workers, tenants, and local communities, in the processes of reducing embodied carbon.

These included: 

Human rights risks in the built environment supply chain

• Extraction of new ‘transition materials’ e.g. cooper, cobalt, and lithium can undermine indigenous people rights and cause displacement. This behaviour could continue, and even exacerbate, the current human rights violations that occur with current coal mining. 

• Unsafe or unhealthy working conditions for workers in the transport industry e.g. in cargo vessels, truckers and rail operators. 

• Unsafe or unhealthy working and living conditions of (migrant) workers in the construction industry itself 

Opportunities to avoid and reduce risks

• To avoid most of the above risks all together, built environment projects should prioritise re-using existing structures, and focus on renovation instead of demolition and building anew, where possible. 

• Local and circular economies also avoid risks down the supply chain by reducing demand of new materials imported from abroad, as well as the potential risks to the transport workers involved. 

• Workers in the construction industry should receive training and re-skilling as technological innovations take place; and should also receive social protections and support from their employers 

• Businesses should perform due diligence to ensure their suppliers and clients also conform with human rights in their operations 

• Lastly, governments should provide the legal and regulatory frameworks to minimise risks and maximise protections for the vulnerable groups above.