The climate crisis in many sectors is driving rapid and substantial changes. Considering the fact that the building sector accounts for 39% of energy related carbon emissions, it is important to take swift actions to reduce these emissions. This study will identify the accuracy and availability of the embodied carbon databases. In this regard, the effect of using different embodied carbon databases on the total emissions during product and end-of-life stages will be compared. The results showed that using the UK Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy database (BEIS) overestimates the embodied carbon emissions. Additionally, using the Environmental product declarations database (EPDs), compared to the Inventory of Carbon and Energy database (ICE), can reduce embodied carbon for some materials up to 100%. The end-of-life calculation showed a huge difference between the two databases. In addition, Whole Life Carbon Assessment (WLC) has been carried out. The findings revealed that 67% of emissions come from operational carbon and embodied carbon is responsible for 33% of emissions. Using LED lights and installing PV panels can reduce the total CO₂ emissions by 24.82 tonCO₂. In addition, using recycled metal, less carbon intensive concrete, and recyclable aluminium can reduce the total CO₂ emissions by 18.57, 2.07, and 2.3 tonCO₂e, respectively.

This paper presents a detailed analysis of embodied carbon (EC) in various case studies using life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. Through comprehensive assessments, including modules A, B and C, the study evaluates EC across different stages of building life cycles. This study also considers the EC savings achievable through current end‐of‐life strategies in the UK context. As Module A accounts for the highest EC in the case studies, the majority of reduction strategies should focus on this stage. The most impactful strategy for reducing EC emissions involves incorporating Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS) as a replacement for cement. This approach has the potential to achieve a substantial reduction in the EC of concrete within the buildings under investigation, ranging from 60% to 70%. The study reveals that specification strategy can lead to significant Whole Life Embodied Carbon (WLEC) reductions, with the residential building achieving a 30.59% reduction, the college building a 46.86% reduction, and the hotel building a reduction of 23.69%. Effective mitigation strategies, such as utilizing recycled and reclaimed materials, demonstrate promising results, showcasing significant reduction in WLEC emissions in the buildings.

This paper investigates the environmental aspects and energy impacts of implementing a green roof system at the Hilton Watford hotel, utilising building information modelling software (Revit) for three-dimensional modelling and Insight for energy simulation. Following EN 15804:2012+A2:2019, the study employs life-cycle assessment methodology, focusing on embodied and operational carbon. Environmental Product Declarations, Inventory of Carbon and Energy database and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors guideline inform embodied carbon calculations. The results show the green roof system releases 263 839.56 kgCO₂e as embodied carbon, while its sedum layer sequesters 211 468.12 kgCO₂e over a 50 year lifespan. Energy efficiency analysis indicates a 3.3 kWh/(m²/year) reduction in energy consumption, leading to a 112 130.31 kgCO₂e reduction in operational carbon dioxide emissions, highlighting the environmental benefits of green roof adoption. The findings suggest a 0.35% mitigation of whole life-cycle carbon dioxide emissions, with greater impact in situations of lower insulation effectiveness, showcasing the potential of green roofs in reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Additionally, the green roof incurs a minimal financial burden, constituting only 0.51% of the overall project cost.

Embodied carbon is a significant contributor to a building's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Thus, decarbonizing the building industry is a necessary response to national and global carbon reduction objectives. During the design stage, architects have the opportunity to reduce a building's embodied carbon. However, minimizing embodied carbon requires evaluating embodied carbon emissions during various life cycle phases. Recently, researchers have shown increased interest in the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of buildings, a methodology for assessing environmental impacts at all stages of a building's life. This research aims to determine the impact of using 'low-carbon materials' strategy on the total embodied carbon of an educational building using LCA and three different data sources: EPDs, the ICE database, and RICS guidelines. The analysis of the building indicated that metal and concrete materials generate the most embodied carbon, approximately 1038 and 552 tonCO2e, respectively. It was also determined that the Product Stage accounts for over 80% of total emissions. Moreover, using recycled metal material, low-carbon concrete, light-coloured brick, and Rockwool can reduce embodied carbon by 47%, 43%, 10%, and 43%, respectively. Consequently, the embodied carbon of the building has the potential to be reduced by 37% overall.

The UK aims to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 68% by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050, necessitating urgent reductions in carbon emissions from the building sector, which accounts for 39% of energy-related emissions. This research focuses on assessing and mitigating embodied carbon (EC) in residential, educational, and hotel buildings in the UK using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) across the entire building lifecycle to support net-zero targets. The study evaluates EC from raw material extraction to end-of-life disposal (modules A1-A5, B2-B4, and C1-C4), addressing critical gaps in current EC assessment methodologies. This study also examines EC savings from current end-of-life strategies in existing UK buildings and their impact on new constructions. As Module A accounts for the highest EC in the case studies, the majority of reduction strategies should focus on this stage. To enhance accuracy and efficiency, this research integrates Building Information Modelling (BIM) with LCA using Dynamo and Python scripting, enabling automated EC assessment. Dynamo was used to connect the LCA database with Autodesk Revit, creating a smooth link between them. Then, Python scripting was used to automate the EC assessment by organizing and processing the data from the LCA database, making the process faster and more efficient. The study identifies discrepancies between traditional manual assessments and automated approaches, refining methodologies to improve reliability. Additionally, the research explores EC reduction strategies, including the use of low-carbon materials and sustainable design interventions such as green roofing systems, to minimize carbon emissions across different buildings. The findings demonstrated the accuracy and reliability of the automated method by comparing its results with the traditional manual approach. The automated approach was validated through two case studies: an educational building and a hotel, where the results demonstrated over 98% alignment between the manual and automated methods, with discrepancies consistently below 2%, confirming the reliability of the automation approach. In the educational building, the largest discrepancies, though relatively small, were observed in the ceiling during A5w and C2 (0.77% and 0.74%, respectively), the column during A5w (1.72%), and the foundation during A5w (0.69%). For the hotel building, the most notable differences occurred in windows during B4 (0.78%), doors during B4 (0.75%), ceilings during A4, C2, and C3-C4 (0.72%, 0.67%, and 0.72%, respectively), and foundations during A5w (0.62%). Additionally, the automated method reduced EC assessment time from over 200 hours in manual calculations to just minutes, highlighting its practicality for industry adoption. The most impactful strategy for reducing EC emissions involves incorporating Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS) as a replacement for cement. This approach has the potential to achieve a substantial reduction in the EC of concrete within the buildings under investigation, ranging from 60% to 70%. The study reveals that specification strategy can lead to significant Whole Life Embodied Carbon (WLEC) reductions, with the residential building achieving a 22.53% reduction, the college building a 35.17% reduction and the hotel building a reduction of 17.72%.