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Choose low-carbon materials by first meeting the project’s structural, code, durability, fire, moisture, acoustic and thermal requirements, then compare functionally suitable products on a common life-cycle basis. Use current environmental product declarations (EPDs), align their declared or functional units, life-cycle modules and product data, and multiply impacts by the quantities your project will actually install. Start with the materials that drive the project’s embodied-carbon total, rather than assuming one material family is always the cleanest choice.
This method produces a defensible shortlist for design and procurement. It also prevents a common mistake: ranking products by a single global-warming-potential number when the products have different units, system boundaries, product functions or data quality.
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Why embodied carbon belongs in material selection
Embodied carbon is the greenhouse-gas emissions associated with making a product, including extraction, transport and manufacturing. That definition, used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), covers emissions that occur before a material is installed and, when the assessment includes them, emissions from maintenance, replacement and end of life.
EPA’s 2024 low-embodied-carbon-materials overview reports that at least 11 percent of construction-sector greenhouse-gas emissions result from embodied carbon in construction materials. It also reports that roughly 32 percent of U.S. construction-related embodied-carbon emissions come from government-funded projects. These are national context figures, not a prediction for an individual building, but they explain why owners and public agencies increasingly ask for product-level carbon data.
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Embodied carbon is only one project criterion. A lower-carbon product that fails a structural, fire, moisture, acoustic, thermal, durability or code requirement is not a viable choice. The objective is the lowest-impact option that performs the required function over the intended service life and can actually be procured and installed.
What an EPD tells you—and what it does not
An EPD is a structured environmental report
An environmental product declaration reports life-cycle impacts for a defined product under product category rules (PCRs). It is based on life-cycle assessment (LCA), usually with third-party verification or program oversight. An EPD is evidence for a stated scope; it is not a universal product score.
EPA’s 2024 PCR criteria require a clearly defined, measurable declared or functional unit and an explicitly specified and justified life-cycle boundary. Relevant PCRs must identify at least the cradle-to-gate A1–A3 stages, or explain a justified deviation. The A1–A3 stages generally cover raw-material supply, transport to the manufacturer and manufacturing.
Cradle-to-gate is not a whole-building result
Most U.S. construction-material EPDs have cradle-to-gate scope. Unless later modules are included, such an EPD does not quantify impacts from transport to site, construction, use-stage energy, maintenance, replacement, demolition, waste processing or disposal. Do not present an A1–A3 number as the total life-cycle impact of a building.
Read the declared or functional unit literally
A declared unit describes a quantity of product, such as one cubic metre of concrete or one tonne of steel. A functional unit describes the service delivered, such as a specified area of wall meeting a thermal or structural requirement. Two numbers cannot be ranked fairly if one is reported per tonne and the other per cubic metre, or if the products deliver different performance.
For a project comparison, convert each candidate to a common basis only after confirming that the products can perform the same function. A simple project calculation is:
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project impact = impact per declared unit × installed quantity in that unit
If a product’s unit, strength, density, coverage, recycled-content definition or required thickness differs, the quantity conversion must reflect those differences. If a reliable conversion is not possible, report the figures separately rather than creating a misleading ranking.
Set the project requirements before looking for carbon reductions
Write a short performance brief for each material category. It should state the requirements that cannot be traded away and the variables that can be optimized.
- Structural: design strength, stiffness, load path, fire resistance, connection requirements and construction sequence.
- Code and safety: applicable building and fire codes, testing, certifications and approvals.
- Durability: exposure class, corrosion or decay risk, moisture conditions, expected service life, inspection and replacement cycles.
- Building physics: thermal resistance, air and water control, vapor behavior and acoustic performance.
- Constructability: tolerances, curing or installation conditions, site access, available trades and schedule.
- Project constraints: dimensions, finish, hazardous-material restrictions, local sourcing requirements and procurement deadlines.
Carbon analysis should narrow choices within this feasible set. It should not be used to justify a product that has not passed the project’s engineering and code checks.
Find the project’s material hotspots
Start with quantities, not marketing claims
List the materials and systems in the design, then estimate the quantity of each in the unit used by its EPD. Multiply the quantity by the reported impact to identify the categories that can materially change the project total. A product with a low impact per unit may contribute little if only a small amount is installed; a higher-impact unit can dominate when the quantity is large.
Use a practical first scope
Carbon Leadership Forum procurement guidance recommends beginning with structural materials such as concrete, steel and wood. Its owner toolkit describes expanding the scope to the envelope, finishes and other systems as the team’s data and process mature. This is a prioritization method, not a claim that one structural material is universally lower carbon.
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Track the quantity, specification, supplier, facility and EPD for each hotspot. Include major foundations, slabs, frames and retaining elements before spending time on small interior products that cannot change the result appreciably.
Consider design efficiency as well as product substitution
Reducing unnecessary material can outperform a small change in product intensity. Review spans, grids, member sizes, slab thicknesses, repetition, openings, tolerances and construction waste with the design team. Compare legitimate alternatives only after confirming that an efficient design still meets safety, serviceability, durability and code requirements.
Request comparable evidence from suppliers
Ask each supplier for the current EPD and the PCR used to produce it. Record the information in a comparison sheet rather than copying only the headline GWP value.
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|---|---|
| Product name, model or mix and manufacturer | Prevents different formulations or product generations being treated as identical. |
| Manufacturing facility and geography | Electricity, fuels, transport and production practices vary by plant and region. |
| Declared or functional unit | Determines how the impact must be converted to the project quantity. |
| GWP metric and reporting basis | Confirms whether values use GWP-100 and which reporting conventions apply. |
| Life-cycle modules | Shows whether the result covers A1–A3 only or also transport, construction, use and end-of-life stages. |
| PCR, program operator and version | Different rules can produce non-equivalent results even for similar products. |
| Publication date and validity period | Reveals whether the data are current for the planned procurement. |
| Data representativeness and verification | Indicates whether data are product-specific, facility-specific, industry-average, geographic and temporally representative. |
| Assumptions and exclusions | Identifies recycled-content rules, electricity mix, transport distances, waste and other modeling choices. |
Check data quality before comparing GWP values
Product-specific and industry-average data are not interchangeable
An EPD can use product-specific data, facility-specific data, an industry average or a mixture. A facility-specific result may represent the plant that will supply your project; an industry-average result may represent a broader market. Neither is automatically preferable, but the distinction must be visible in the decision.
Geographic and temporal representativeness also matter. Electricity grids, fuels, transport distances, production technology and input materials change by location and year. A current local product and an older national average should not be treated as equivalent without disclosing that difference.
Apply EPA’s 2026 upstream-data criterion carefully
EPA’s Version 1-2024 PCR criteria, published in August 2024, include a requirement effective January 1, 2026: when an individual upstream input contributes 75 percent or more of the disclosed A1–A3 GWP-100, facility-specific data for that input are required unless such data are unavailable in the current market. This is a criterion for the applicable EPA program and PCR implementation, not a universal rule for every EPD or procurement. Confirm the governing PCR and program requirements for your project.
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The same criteria call for conservative default values for specified scenario data when an EPD developer lacks data, rather than leaving the fields blank or marked “not applicable.” Ask the EPD program operator or verifier how these provisions were applied when a major input is modeled with assumptions.
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Normalize the comparison
Use the following sequence for every pair or group of candidates:
- Confirm functional equivalence. Check strength, density, thickness, coverage, fire rating, thermal performance, durability and installation requirements.
- Choose a common unit. Convert to a declared or functional unit that represents the same service. Document density, yield, mix design, wastage and any performance-based quantity adjustment.
- Align the impact metric. Use the same GWP method and reporting basis. Do not mix a product’s GWP-100 result with a different metric without explaining the conversion.
- Align life-cycle scope. Compare A1–A3 with A1–A3, or compare a broader set of modules with the same broader set. If scopes differ, show the difference and avoid calling the results a like-for-like ranking.
- Check the PCR and data quality. Note PCR version, facility, geography, dates, verification and major assumptions.
- Apply project quantities. Multiply the normalized intensity by the quantity the design actually requires, including realistic installation waste where the project model includes it.
- Test sensitivity. Recalculate if service life, replacement frequency, recycled content, transport or end-of-life assumptions could change the decision.
| Comparison outcome | How to present it |
|---|---|
| Same function, unit, metric, modules and credible data | A direct project-level comparison is appropriate. |
| Same function but different modules | Show each scope separately and do not claim a complete ranking. |
| Different functions or performance | Compare whole assemblies or functional units, not raw product values. |
| Incomplete or non-representative EPD | Use it as a qualified indicator, identify the limitation and seek better evidence. |
Account for service life, maintenance and end of life
A material with a lower manufacturing impact may require earlier replacement or more maintenance. Where those effects are material, compare the service delivered over the analysis period, not only the initial A1–A3 value. Use the project’s durability design, warranty, exposure conditions and replacement assumptions; do not invent a generic service life.
End-of-life modeling can also change the result. Review demolition, sorting, recycling, reuse, landfill and energy-recovery assumptions in the EPD or LCA. Credits for recycling or future reuse depend on the stated methodology and scenarios, so they should not be transferred uncritically between products.
Assess salvaged and reused materials as real alternatives
EPA identifies guidance for salvaged and reused construction materials. Reuse can reduce demand for new production, but availability, testing, dimensions, condition, traceability, code acceptance and installation effort still apply. Evaluate a reused item against the same functional requirements and a clearly stated assessment boundary. Do not assume every reused product is automatically the best option or assign it a zero impact without documenting the method.
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Design levers
- Reduce material quantity through efficient structural layouts and coordinated openings.
- Specify performance rather than unnecessary prescriptive features when code and engineering allow.
- Design for durability, repair and future adaptation to avoid premature replacement.
- Enable disassembly or selective removal where future reuse is credible.
Procurement levers
- Request a current, verified EPD with the bid or submittal.
- Define acceptable PCR, modules, units and data-quality requirements.
- Require suppliers to identify the manufacturing facility that will serve the project.
- Set a carbon target, benchmark or maximum intensity only on a stated, comparable basis.
- Allow technically equivalent alternatives, but require the same evidence and normalization for each.
- Keep cost, lead time, minimum order, local capacity and constructability as explicit evaluation criteria. These must be established with project-specific procurement evidence, not inferred from generic carbon guidance.
Turn the analysis into a construction specification
A useful specification tells bidders exactly what evidence to submit and how alternatives will be judged. Adapt the following structure to the material and governing program:
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- Performance: State the required strength, grade, rating, dimensions, durability class and applicable codes.
- Environmental documentation: Require a current third-party-verified EPD prepared under the identified PCR or an approved equivalent.
- Reporting basis: State the declared or functional unit, GWP metric, life-cycle modules and geographic scope to be used for comparison.
- Data quality: Require product and facility identification, publication and validity dates, major upstream inputs, assumptions and verification details.
- Evaluation: Explain that the owner or design team will normalize functionally equivalent submittals and multiply impacts by installed project quantities.
- Alternatives: Require an alternative-material submittal to show performance equivalence, quantity changes, cost, lead time, constructability and any difference in life-cycle scope.
- Records: Require the approved EPD, supplier, facility, product designation and delivered quantity to be retained for the project record.
Do not write a carbon limit so narrowly that no compliant product can be supplied, and do not accept a low number whose unit or boundary differs from the benchmark. If the market cannot provide the requested evidence, state the fallback procedure and document the gap.
Track what is actually installed
At submittal review, compare the proposed product with the product used in the design calculation. At closeout, record the approved product, manufacturing facility, EPD version, delivered or installed quantity and any approved substitution. Carbon reporting based on design assumptions can diverge from procurement reality when quantities, suppliers or mixes change.
Carbon Leadership Forum procurement guidance recommends tracking material quantities and embodied-carbon data. That record supports future benchmarking and makes the project’s result auditable without claiming that an unmodeled project has achieved a particular reduction.
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EC3
The Carbon Leadership Forum describes EC3 as a free tool for benchmarking, assessing and reducing upfront supply-chain emissions using EPD data. It can support design and procurement comparisons, but its outputs still depend on the quality, scope and comparability of the underlying EPDs and on the project quantities entered.
EPA construction-material resources
EPA’s construction-material resources collect information on EPDs, reuse and recycling, procurement and embodied-carbon assessment. EPA also describes advisory services covering EPD development and use, life-cycle data, PCRs and procurement integration. Treat these as technical resources; they do not replace the project engineer, code official, estimator or contracting team.
Common mistakes and how to correct them
| Mistake | Correction |
|---|---|
| Choosing the smallest GWP number on a spreadsheet | Align function, unit, metric, modules, PCR and data quality before ranking. |
| Comparing a tonne of one product with a cubic metre of another | Convert to a common declared or functional unit using verified performance and quantity data. |
| Treating A1–A3 as the whole building’s carbon | State the cradle-to-gate boundary and add later modules only when they are assessed consistently. |
| Ignoring quantity changes after substitution | Recalculate the required quantity for strength, thickness, density, coverage and waste. |
| Assuming an industry average represents the supplying plant | Record facility and geographic representativeness and seek facility-specific evidence where required. |
| Assuming recycled or reused always means zero impact | Check the EPD allocation, collection, processing, transport, testing and end-of-life assumptions. |
| Setting a target without checking supply | Verify local capacity, lead time, minimum order, price and constructability before making the requirement contractual. |
| Failing to track substitutions | Collect final submittals and installed quantities so the reported result reflects procurement. |
A concise decision checklist
- Have the project’s non-negotiable performance and code requirements been written down?
- Have quantities identified the material hotspots?
- Does every candidate have a current EPD and identified PCR?
- Are declared or functional units, GWP metric and life-cycle modules aligned?
- Are facility, geographic, temporal and product-specific data differences recorded?
- Does the calculation use the quantity and assembly the project will actually build?
- Could service life, maintenance, replacement, reuse or end of life change the decision?
- Have cost, availability, schedule and constructability been verified with suppliers?
- Does the specification explain evidence, benchmarks, alternatives and submittal review?
- Will the team record the product and quantity ultimately installed?
Bottom line
The most reliable low-carbon-material choice is not a universally “green” material. It is a functionally compliant product with credible, comparable environmental data, selected where the project uses enough material for the decision to matter. Align the EPDs and LCA assumptions, calculate impacts from real quantities, test durability and end-of-life effects, verify supply and cost, and write the evidence requirements into procurement. That process produces a decision that is both lower-risk technically and more defensible environmentally.
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