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The Role of Embodied Carbon Databases in the Accuracy of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Calculations for the Embodied Carbon of Buildings

Author

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  • Golnaz Mohebbi

    (Department of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, School of Computing and Engineering, University of West London, London W5 5RF, UK)

  • Ali Bahadori-Jahromi

    (Department of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, School of Computing and Engineering, University of West London, London W5 5RF, UK)

  • Marco Ferri

    (Lidl Great Britain Ltd., 19 Worple Road, London SW19 4JS, UK)

  • Anastasia Mylona

    (Research Department, The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers [CIBSE], London SW12 9BS, UK)

Abstract

Studies conducted by major national and international scientific bodies have indisputably concluded that the increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) since the mid-20th century has led to irreversible changes in the climate. Data has shown that the contribution of the building sector accounts for 39% of these emissions. Reducing GHG emissions associated with the construction phase of buildings, or embodied carbon (EC), will prevent GHG emissions from entering the atmosphere earlier, reducing the negative impacts. However, to achieve any meaningful reduction, there is a need for consistency and accuracy in the calculations. The accuracy of these calculations is primarily tied to the accuracy of embodied carbon factors (ECF) used in the calculations, values determining the environmental impact of a product or procedure per unit weight. The emissions of any product can be calculated by performing a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). While the requirements for carrying out an LCA have been standardised in ISO14044, the lack of a definitive national ECF database in the UK means that EC calculations can vary drastically based on the chosen database. An LCA has been carried out on a standard Lidl supermarket design within the A1–A3 boundary. For the calculation, the ECFs were sourced from two different databases, using the GHG conversion factor data published in 2020 by the UK Department of Energy & Climate Change and data published in 2019 by the Inventory of Carbon and Energy (ICE). The latter is currently accepted as the most consistent database for carbon factors in the UK. This study showed that using a more detailed database compared to using a more general database could result in a 35.2% reduction of embodied carbon, while using more detailed data from a single database can reduce it by a further 5.5%. It is necessary to establish the most accurate baseline for embodied carbon so that any carbon reduction attempts can be as effective as possible.

Suggested Citation

  • Golnaz Mohebbi & Ali Bahadori-Jahromi & Marco Ferri & Anastasia Mylona, 2021. "The Role of Embodied Carbon Databases in the Accuracy of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Calculations for the Embodied Carbon of Buildings," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-22, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:14:p:7988-:d:596013
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Nässén, Jonas & Holmberg, John & Wadeskog, Anders & Nyman, Madeleine, 2007. "Direct and indirect energy use and carbon emissions in the production phase of buildings: An input–output analysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 32(9), pages 1593-1602.
    2. Yohanis, Y.G. & Norton, B., 2002. "Life-cycle operational and embodied energy for a generic single-storey office building in the UK," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 27(1), pages 77-92.
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    Cited by:

    1. Lei Yu & Yang Wang & Dezhi Li, 2023. "Calculating and Analyzing Carbon Emission Factors of Prefabricated Components," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-17, May.
    2. Maryam Keyhani & Atefeh Abbaspour & Ali Bahadori-Jahromi & Anastasia Mylona & Alan Janbey & Paulina Godfrey & Hexin Zhang, 2023. "Whole Life Carbon Assessment of a Typical UK Residential Building Using Different Embodied Carbon Data Sources," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-17, March.
    3. Yara Al Jundi & Hassam Nasarullah Chaudhry, 2025. "A Critical Review of the Carbon–Energy Nexus Within the Construction Sector’s Embodied Emissions: A Case Study in the United Arab Emirates," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-23, May.
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    5. Huaicen Yuan & Jun Shen & Xinrui Zheng & Xiaohua Bao & Xiangsheng Chen & Hongzhi Cui, 2024. "Integrated Assessment of Bearing Capacity and GHG Emissions for Foundation Treatment Piles Considering Stratum Variability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-23, July.
    6. Augustine Blay-Armah & Ali Bahadori-Jahromi & Anastasia Mylona & Mark Barthorpe & Marco Ferri, 2022. "An Evaluation of the Impact of Databases on End-of-Life Embodied Carbon Estimation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-13, February.
    7. Augusto Mussi Alvim & Eduardo Rodrigues Sanguinet, 2021. "Climate Change Policies and the Carbon Tax Effect on Meat and Dairy Industries in Brazil," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-20, August.
    8. Geeth Jayathilaka & Niraj Thurairajah & Akila Rathnasinghe, 2023. "Digital Data Management Practices for Effective Embodied Carbon Estimation: A Systematic Evaluation of Barriers for Adoption in the Building Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-23, December.
    9. Kamila Ewelina Mazur & Witold Jan Wardal & Jan Barwicki & Mikhail Tseyko, 2025. "Thermal Insulation of Agricultural Buildings Using Different Biomass Materials," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-20, January.

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