Lendlease unveiled a new protocol to monitor, measure, and disclose Scope 3 carbon emissions and called on built environment industry leaders to tackle this challenge.
Scope 3 emissions are indirect emissions that occur in an organization’s value chain and often make up the majority of an organization’s carbon footprint. Lendlease says Scope 3 emissions comprise about 90% of its global carbon footprint.
Scope 3 emissions data, embedded in carbon-intensive materials such as steel, cement, aluminum, and glass, are especially challenging to track and measure. They have multiple source points and different levels of transparency, completeness, and assurance. Methods and standards for their calculation are inconsistent, and there is no standardized data exchange for them.
Lendlease is driving to change that with its new protocol that includes a Scope 3 Reporting Assessment Tool with more than 50 possible subcategories.
“We want the protocol to spark conversation and engagement across our sector, to help drive to a consensus on how to account for and report on Scope 3 emissions,” said Cate Harris, group head of sustainability. “If we can achieve this, then we can collaborate as an industry to solve the two big systemic challenges: the decarbonization of harder to abate materials, and the digitization and sharing of Scope 3 emissions data.”
Related Stories
| Oct 25, 2012
Nashville providing incentives for green roofs
The city of Nashville, Tenn., is promoting the installation of green roofs through a measure providing a $10 reduction in a property's sewer fees for every square foot of vegetative roof.
| Oct 25, 2012
Net Zero buildings will use operating systems like computers to save energy
As buildings become more efficient and begin to use distributed electricity generation, they will need to become “smarter,” using operating systems much as a computer does.
| Oct 18, 2012
Princeton, N.J. residents upset over proposal to exempt colleges from land use laws
Princeton, N.J. residents criticized proposed legislation that would exempt private colleges and universities from following local land use laws for construction projects.
| Oct 18, 2012
Utah contracting firm challenges state immigration law
Universal Contracting LLC of American Fork, Utah, has filed suit challenging the constitutionality of Utah’s 2011 immigration law.
| Oct 18, 2012
More than 65,000 construction, design jobs may be cut if sequestration takes place
About $2 billion worth of construction and design projects would be eliminated if scheduled federal budget cuts, referred to as sequestration, take effect on Jan. 2, 2013.
| Oct 18, 2012
OSHA investigating parking garage collapse that kills four at Doral, Fla. college
OSHA is investigating the collapse of a five-story concrete parking garage under construction at Miami Dade College West Campus in Doral, Fla. that killed four workers and injured several others.
| Oct 18, 2012
EPA commercial building lead paint rule pushed back to 2015
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's inclusion of commercial buildings in a residential lead paint rule is being delayed until 2015.
| Oct 18, 2012
Chicago pushing green roofs to reduce heat island effect
The city of Chicago has mandated that all new buildings that require any public funds must be LEED certified, usually with a green roof.
