IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2024i1p72-d1553613.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Including Embodied Carbon in Assessing Renovation Options for Industrial Heritage Buildings: A Review and Case Studies

Author

Listed:
  • Yidong Huang

    (The Institute of Sustainable Building Design, School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK)

  • Fan Wang

    (The Institute of Sustainable Building Design, School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK)

  • Alex Vidal Hiscock

    (Arup, East West Building, 1 Tollhouse Hill, Nottingham NG1 5AT, UK)

  • Jivantika Satyarthi

    (The Urban Institute, School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK)

  • Harry Smith

    (The Urban Institute, School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh EH14 4AS, UK)

Abstract

Industrial buildings play vital roles in a society, from shaping the economic, technological, cultural, and social fabric of society to contributing to its growth, development, and resilience. Hence, often at the end of their lifespans, they are “preserved” for their historical value through renovation. Considerations for renovation often include their historical significance, structural integrity, adaptive reuse, social sustainability, financial viability, and environmental impacts. Among these considerations, the carbon emissions associated with a project are increasingly becoming a factor of relevance when a historical building is to be sensitively renovated so that it can continue to contribute to local sustainability. However, embodied carbon is often overshadowed by operational carbon and overlooked in the development of renovation options. This paper argues for the need to include embodied carbon in the consideration of any renovation process and for guidelines for doing so. The argument is built upon a systematic review of current practices in the renovation of industrial heritage buildings across selected representative countries from the Global South and the Global North, in the belief that the former could learn valuable lessons from the latter, which has more extensive experience in considering embodied carbon in such processes. The argument also shows the difference in policy between different countries and articulates how the inclusion of embodied carbon might support environmental targets in the Global South. Based on a quantitative comparison, this review explains why embodied carbon (EC) is missing in renovations of industrial heritage buildings in the Global South. This study estimates the proportion and value of EC within the total life cycle in renovations of industrial buildings to support the argument. Above all, a calculation using a standard life cycle assessment (LCA) tool (ISO14040 & 14044) applied to four successful examples and a quantitative comparison highlight the benefits of including embodied carbon in renovations of industrial buildings and the carbon savings in the Global South and further supports our argument.

Suggested Citation

  • Yidong Huang & Fan Wang & Alex Vidal Hiscock & Jivantika Satyarthi & Harry Smith, 2024. "Including Embodied Carbon in Assessing Renovation Options for Industrial Heritage Buildings: A Review and Case Studies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(1), pages 1-31, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2024:i:1:p:72-:d:1553613
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/1/72/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/1/72/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Xiao-Dan Li & Zhi-Ting Chen & Zhen Liu & Hao Yang, 2021. "Decision-Making on Reuse Modes of Abandoned Coal Mine Industrial Sites in Beijing Based on Environment-Economy-Society Matter-Element Models," Mathematical Problems in Engineering, Hindawi, vol. 2021, pages 1-14, July.
    2. Ruiqing Yuan & Xiangyang Xu & Yanli Wang & Jiayi Lu & Ying Long, 2024. "Evaluating Carbon-Emission Efficiency in China’s Construction Industry: An SBM-Model Analysis of Interprovincial Building Heating," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-16, March.
    3. Joeri Rogelj & Piers M. Forster & Elmar Kriegler & Christopher J. Smith & Roland Séférian, 2019. "Estimating and tracking the remaining carbon budget for stringent climate targets," Nature, Nature, vol. 571(7765), pages 335-342, July.
    4. Ming Hu, 2021. "Beyond Operational Energy Efficiency: A Balanced Sustainability Index from a Life Cycle Consideration," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-15, October.
    5. Jiazhen Zhang & Jeremy Cenci & Vincent Becue & Sesil Koutra & Chenyang Liao, 2022. "Stewardship of Industrial Heritage Protection in Typical Western European and Chinese Regions: Values and Dilemmas," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-16, May.
    6. Stephan, André & Crawford, Robert H. & de Myttenaere, Kristel, 2013. "A comprehensive assessment of the life cycle energy demand of passive houses," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 23-34.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Colclough, Shane & McGrath, Teresa, 2015. "Net energy analysis of a solar combi system with Seasonal Thermal Energy Store," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 611-616.
    2. Abd Alla, Sara & Bianco, Vincenzo & Tagliafico, Luca A. & Scarpa, Federico, 2020. "Life-cycle approach to the estimation of energy efficiency measures in the buildings sector," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 264(C).
    3. Tinta, Abdoulganiour Almame, 2023. "Energy substitution in Africa: Cross-regional differentiation effects," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 263(PA).
    4. Ronyastra, I Made & Saw, Lip Huat & Low, Foon Siang, 2023. "A review of methods for integrating risk management and multicriteria decision analysis in financial feasibility for post-coal-mining land usage selection," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(PB).
    5. Abdur Rehman Mazhar & Shuli Liu & Ashish Shukla, 2018. "A Key Review of Non-Industrial Greywater Heat Harnessing," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-34, February.
    6. Yang Ou & Christopher Roney & Jameel Alsalam & Katherine Calvin & Jared Creason & Jae Edmonds & Allen A. Fawcett & Page Kyle & Kanishka Narayan & Patrick O’Rourke & Pralit Patel & Shaun Ragnauth & Ste, 2021. "Deep mitigation of CO2 and non-CO2 greenhouse gases toward 1.5 °C and 2 °C futures," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-9, December.
    7. Yunxing Zhang & Meiyu Yang & Ziyang Li & Weizhen Li & Chenchen Lu & Zhigang Li & Haidong Li & Feifei Zhai, 2023. "Study on the Spatial Distribution Characteristics and Influencing Factors in the Reuse of National Industrial Heritage Sites in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(24), pages 1-24, December.
    8. Bingyu Sun & Konomi Ikebe & Yirui Han & Xiangting He, 2023. "Protection System and Preservation Status for Heritage of Industrial Modernization in China—Based on a Case Study of Shenyang City," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-28, January.
    9. Zhang, Yun-Long & Kang, Jia-Ning & Liu, Lan-Cui & Wei, Yi-Ming, 2024. "Unveiling the evolution and future prospects: A comprehensive review of low-carbon transition in the coal power industry," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 371(C).
    10. Nattaya Sangngamratsakul & Kuskana Kubaha & Siriluk Chiarakorn, 2024. "Embodied Energy Coefficient Quantification and Implementation for an Energy-Conservative House in Thailand," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-20, May.
    11. Jatin Nathwani & Niels Lind & Ortwin Renn & Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, 2021. "Balancing Health, Economy and Climate Risk in a Multi-Crisis," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-13, July.
    12. Kimberly Bawden & Eric Williams, 2015. "Hybrid Life Cycle Assessment of Low, Mid and High-Rise Multi-Family Dwellings," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 6(1), pages 1-19, April.
    13. Kong, Minjin & Ji, Changyoon & Hong, Taehoon & Kang, Hyuna, 2022. "Impact of the use of recycled materials on the energy conservation and energy transition of buildings using life cycle assessment: A case study in South Korea," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    14. Yin, Yanhong & Aikawa, Kohei & Mizokami, Shoshi, 2016. "Effect of housing relocation subsidy policy on energy consumption: A simulation case study," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 168(C), pages 291-302.
    15. Stubenrauch, Jessica & Garske, Beatrice, 2023. "Forest protection in the EU's renewable energy directive and nature conservation legislation in light of the climate and biodiversity crisis – Identifying legal shortcomings and solutions," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    16. Carine Lausselet & Johana Paola Forero Urrego & Eirik Resch & Helge Brattebø, 2021. "Temporal analysis of the material flows and embodied greenhouse gas emissions of a neighborhood building stock," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 25(2), pages 419-434, April.
    17. Jennifer Morris & Andrei Sokolov & John Reilly & Alex Libardoni & Chris Forest & Sergey Paltsev & C. Adam Schlosser & Ronald Prinn & Henry Jacoby, 2025. "Quantifying both socioeconomic and climate uncertainty in coupled human–Earth systems analysis," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-16, December.
    18. Stephan, André & Stephan, Laurent, 2020. "Achieving net zero life cycle primary energy and greenhouse gas emissions apartment buildings in a Mediterranean climate," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 280(C).
    19. Wang, Junya & Zhao, Qinfang & Ning, Ping & Wen, Shikun, 2024. "Greenhouse gas contribution and emission reduction potential prediction of China's aluminum industry," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 290(C).
    20. Beata Łaźniewska-Piekarczyk & Dominik Smyczek, 2025. "Valorization of Fibrous Mineral Waste via Bauxite-Enhanced Milling: A Pathway to Sustainable Cement and Geopolymer Binders," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-20, October.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2024:i:1:p:72-:d:1553613. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.