Climate & Environment

Whole Life Carbon

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Definition

Whole life carbon is the sum of all carbon emissions arising from a building or infrastructure asset over its life: embodied carbon from material production, construction, maintenance and end of life, plus operational carbon from energy and water use during occupation. It is measured through whole-building life cycle assessment.

References

ukgbc.orgBulk import source

Source imported for editorial provenance.

Source organisationSupporting reference

This reference provides supporting context for how “Whole Life Carbon” is defined and used.

Overview

How it is used

Designers conduct whole life carbon assessments at each RIBA stage; planning authorities such as London require assessments for major developments; net zero building standards set limits on both embodied and operational carbon; investors screen portfolios using whole life metrics.

Why it matters

Embodied emissions occur upfront and are locked in, so whole life carbon accounting is essential to credible net zero building commitments.