Future Homes Hub launches Whole Life Carbon material

The Future Homes Hub has today (May 22) launched its tool for measuring whole life carbon and published its Whole Life Carbon Conventions for New Homes, allowing home builders to consistently measure, share and report whole life carbon assessments.

Embodied and operational carbon make up the whole life carbon of a product. Embodied carbon – the carbon released when producing new homes – remains the challenge that the industry must tackle to deliver net zero homes.

The Hub’s Whole Life Carbon Conventions aim to “normalise” measuring whole life carbon, reducing the inconsistences and different interpretations seen in recent years in this field.

The Conventions provide standardised assumptions of elements including transportation and wastage, as well as of “generic materials” and product types commonly used in new homes, as explored through the Hub’s Whole Life Carbon Oversight Group.

Importantly, the Hub said, the method of calculation remains in line with the construction industry standards (RICS). But the Hub’s conventions allow the home building sector to deliver consistent and comparable carbon assessments.

They also encourage transparent reporting of assumptions, including the quantity, material and whole life cycle assumptions used. This, the Hub explained, would address …