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Embodied Carbon
SUSTAINABILITY & URBAN DESIGNintermediate
Definition
The carbon dioxide emitted during the manufacture, transport, installation, maintenance, and disposal of building materials — everything except the energy used to run the finished building. As operational energy improves, embodied carbon is becoming the dominant source of emissions in the construction industry.
Example
Concrete production alone accounts for approximately 8% of global CO₂ emissions — a major driver of research into low-carbon cement substitutes like ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS).