By Dr Lee Jones, Head of Sustainability at Hubexo
The construction industry faces a challenge that’s both urgent and permanent. Every building we design and construct generates emissions through the materials we specify. Unlike operational carbon, which can be addressed across a project’s life through retrofits or behaviour change, upfront embodied carbon is fixed the moment construction completes.
Upfront embodied carbon represents a critical environmental impact. Once construction completes, these emissions are permanent. They’re already released into the atmosphere, affecting our climate for decades, even centuries, to come.
The built environment contributes two-fifths of global carbon emissions. UK construction alone generates three-fifths of all waste, all with associated carbon. Against this backdrop, tracking upfront embodied carbon has moved from ‘nice-to-have’ to essential practice.
A measurement revolution
Something significant is happening across the construction sector. According to the NBS Digital Construction Report 2025, three in five professionals now use digital technology to measure upfront embodied carbon. Just two years ago, that figure was two in five. This represents a fundamental shift in how construction professionals approach sustainability.
The same research reveals that nine in ten professionals agree that digital technologies are having a positive environmental impact. The industry has moved beyond aspiration to practical implementation, with digital tools enabling faster, more consistent and more accurate measurement of sustainability metrics.
This acceleration matters because upfront embodied carbon often represents the largest environmental impact of a building. For a typical office building, upfront embodied carbon comprises around 35% of whole-life carbon emissions, and for energy-efficient structures, that figure can reach 75%1,2. Without accurate measurement and reporting of upfront embodied carbon, any claim to sustainable construction remains incomplete.
Why it’s important now
The regulatory landscape is shifting. Reporting upfront embodied carbon is a key enabler of the UK government’s Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan, crucial for achieving net zero targets. Whole-life carbon assessments will be essential for meeting Carbon Budget 5 from 2028 onwards.
This represents a fundamental change in how construction projects will be evaluated, specified and delivered.
Early adopters are already gaining competitive advantage. Construction professionals who develop upfront embodied carbon capabilities now will lead the market whilst others scramble to respond. Clients increasingly demand environmental transparency, and sustainability-minded professionals prefer working with firms that demonstrate genuine carbon competency.
Nearly nine in ten construction professionals work on projects with sustainable outcome targets. For most, meeting these commitments requires understanding the full carbon picture, and that means addressing upfront embodied carbon from project inception.
Data quality is key
Digital technologies provide the foundation for reliable upfront embodied carbon tracking, but they require accurate data inputs. Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) offer standardised assessments of products’ full lifecycle impacts, but comparing EPDs can be complex when manufacturers use different scopes or units.
This is where digital platforms become essential. They can process vast amounts of technical information, structure data consistently and enable meaningful comparisons. However, human expertise remains crucial. Construction professionals must interpret this data within specific project contexts, balancing carbon reduction objectives with performance requirements, cost constraints and programme demands.
Constructing the capability
Tracking upfront embodied carbon from project inception delivers the greatest impact. Early design decisions determine the majority of a building’s environmental footprint. Digital tools enable real-time assessment of material choices, helping teams understand carbon implications before commitments are made.
Understanding carbon assessment methodologies, defining competency standards and normalising data for meaningful comparisons all demand focused effort. But the returns justify this investment. Projects that embed carbon considerations from the start avoid expensive late-stage redesigns and deliver inherently efficient solutions.
Looking ahead
Construction is undergoing a revolution in sustainability reporting. Digital technologies now make comprehensive upfront embodied carbon tracking achievable at scale. Regulatory frameworks make it necessary, while market demands make it invaluable.
Organisations that treat digital reporting of carbon data as a strategic asset will position themselves advantageously. They’ll respond to client demands more effectively, confidently demonstrating their environmental credentials. Ultimately, they will deliver projects that meet emerging regulatory requirements, more credibly.
The question facing professionals and organisations is straightforward; will you treat carbon data as a strategic capability or a compliance burden? Those who choose the former will shape the industry’s sustainable future. Those who delay will find themselves considering why they didn’t act sooner.
Notes:
1. Historic England, Investing in Heritage to Avoid Embodied Carbon Emissions, https://historicengland.org.uk/research/heritage-counts/heritage-and-environment/avoiding-embodied-carbon-production/
2. Architects Climate Action Network, Embodied Carbon Report, https://architectscan.org/resource/embodied-carbon-report/
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