Can Your Purchases Reverse Global Warming?
Materials and products that are a part of any organization’s purchasing have the capability to reduce carbon footprint and even become carbon sinks that help remove excess greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. This is especially true in the building sector, which is the world’s single largest emitter of Green House Gases (GHGs), accounting for 30-40% of total global GHG emissions. Between now and 2030, almost 75% of the carbon footprint of construction will be embodied carbon, NOT operational emissions. Since organizations like Architecture 2030, AIA, and USGBC have traditionally focused on reducing operational carbon emissions, shifting some of our focus to address the more immediate challenge of embodied carbon requires wide-spread education on the emerging toolbox available to industry professionals. This session will equip purchasers, sustainability professionals, manufacturers, and others with specific and practical strategies for selecting products and materials that reduce embodied carbon emissions and move the industry toward making supply chain part of the solution instead of less of the problem. Learning from experts in climate-friendly design, construction, building ownership, and product manufacturing, participants will be empowered to ensure that their daily work contributes to creating a climate fit for life.