According to the US Department of Energy, embodied carbon is “the estimate of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with stages of a building’s life cycle not including operating the building” (Embodied Carbon Reduction in New Construction). On the other hand, operational carbon is the “carbon impact associated with a building’s day-to-day operations, such as energy usage and water consumption” (Building Transparency).
For a long time, the construction industry has been focused on operational carbon because energy used for building operations is most visible and measurable. Additionally, understanding of the carbon footprint of the entire supply chain for materials and construction has lagged. However, tools for modeling and comparing embodied carbon impacts have recently become more accessible and standardized, such as EC3 (Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator) and One Click LCA. Now, with growing awareness of climate change, net-zero goals, and the realization that embodied carbon can account for up to 50% of a building’s total emissions (Buildings & Cities), the industry is rapidly evolving. Governments, designers, and manufacturers are increasingly prioritizing low-carbon materials, circular design, and carbon accounting.
Both standard Neopor® and Neopor® BMB GPS display lower embodied carbon than any other rigid foam insulation, using 30% less raw material than XPS for the same R-value (Neopor Residential Brochure).