What is 'Upfront Carbon' in Building Contracts?

Traditionally, we only cared about "Operational Carbon"—how much energy the building uses once it is occupied (lights, AC).

Now, the focus has shifted to Upfront Carbon (or Embodied Carbon).

What is it?

It is the carbon emitted to build the thing basically everything before the keys are handed over.

• Mining the iron ore for steel.
• Baking the clinker for cement.
• Driving the materials to site (That is you!).

Why you need to report

If you are a supplier or subcontractor, your transport and installation emissions are part of the detailed "Upfront Carbon" calculation for the project's Green Star rating. Providing this data is becoming a barrier to entry for Tier 1 project supply chains.