A critical element in the decarbonization of homes is the embodied carbon produced in the manufacture and shipping of the building materials used in the construction of homes. Many times the embodied carbon in the home’s building products can equal the carbon produced by the energy consumed in the operation of the home. The current RESNET Carbon Index® only covers the carbon produced in energy used in a home There are many challenges to rating the embodied carbon in a home ranging from a lack of a consensus on a baseline on the carbon content of building materials to questions of the market demand for such ratings. Also uncertain is whether embodied carbon should be a stand-alone standard, part of the RESNET Carbon Index, or a new rating index that combines embodied carbon as well as operating carbon production. To begin the process of exploring these issues, the RESNET Board of Directors has formally authorized the creation of an effort to explore the development of a residential embodied carbon standard. The first step in this process is the recruitment of an advisory committee that will review the development of the standard, provide suggestions on how to proceed, and vet drafts of the guidelines. If you are interested in serving on the advisory committee please complete the application available here by Friday, December 2, 2022.
