The built environment stands at a critical juncture as the urgency of climate action intensifies. Traditional approaches to sustainable design, while valuable, have often overlooked crucial aspects of carbon emissions throughout a building’s lifecycle. In a recent comprehensive expert debate held by the infrared.city Community Talks, leading professionals in sustainable architecture explored the evolution from the embodied vs operational focus to holistic carbon accounting approaches.

The conversation examines the complex interplay between embodied and operational carbon emissions, revealing how emerging technologies, innovative materials, and regulatory frameworks are reshaping the industry. Experts emphasized that achieving true carbon neutrality requires a fundamental shift in how we conceptualize, design, and construct the built environment, moving beyond energy efficiency to encompass the full lifecycle impact of our architectural decisions.

As climate targets become increasingly stringent and regulatory frameworks evolve, the architecture and construction industries face mounting pressure to adopt comprehensive carbon accounting practices. The insights shared reveal several transformative developments that are redefining sustainable design practice.

Key points

• Holistic carbon accounting must address both operational and embodied emissions throughout the building lifecycle. Embodied carbon can represent up to 50% of total emissions in energy-efficient buildings, making whole carbon analysis essential for meaningful climate impact.
• Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) methodologies are becoming fundamental to sustainable design practice. Early integration of LCA tools enables better material selection, energy modeling, and end-of-life planning, though challenges remain in data standardization and practitioner capacity.
• Material innovation is shifting toward carbon-negative solutions that actively sequester carbon. Bio-based composites, low-carbon concrete alternatives, and engineered timber products are gaining traction through pilot projects and progressive procurement policies.
• Digital twin technology enables real-time carbon monitoring and simulation across building and urban scales. These systems provide dynamic performance tracking and predictive analytics, though implementation requires significant investment and cross-sector collaboration.
• Regulatory transformation is accelerating toward mandatory embodied carbon reporting. Progressive cities and the EU are pioneering frameworks that will require industry-wide adaptation to carbon accounting standards and procurement practices within the next few years.

As the built environment faces unprecedented climate challenges, it’s clear that sustainable solutions will require a holistic approach combining cutting-edge technology with proven design principles and context-specific analyses. The insights from this expert discussion paint the picture of a future where building professionals act as integrators, bringing together diverse expertise and stakeholders to create more sustainable, resilient built environments for all.

Continued below is an expanded analysis of existing practices and innovative approaches, building onto the the key points discussed to offer deeper insights into the practical implementation of holistic carbon accounting in contemporary building practice.

Expanding the Carbon Lens: Operational + Embodied Carbon

Context

Historically, sustainable architecture focused largely on reducing operational carbon—greenhouse gas emissions from heating, cooling, lighting, and general energy use during a building’s life. While energy-efficiency gains have succeeded in curbing operational emissions, experts stressed a critical blind spot: embodied carbon.

Key Definitions

Why Embodied Carbon Matters

• As buildings and building mechanical systems become more energy efficient, operational carbon declines while embodied carbon becomes a proportionally larger slice of total emissions—up to 50% in some cases.
• Early-stage design changes (such as selecting low-carbon materials) can significantly reduce embodied emissions.
• Current regulations often neglect embodied carbon—resulting in missed opportunities for carbon mitigation.

Expert Insight

The experts underscored the urgency of integrating both carbon categories to capture the entirety of a building’s environmental impact. Failure to address embodied carbon risks undermining climate goals despite apparent operational efficiency.

Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) as a Foundation

The LCA Approach

Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) is a systematic method for evaluating the environmental impact of a product, process, or building over its entire life cycle.

Application in Architecture and Planning

Emerging Practices Discussed

• LCA software integration into Building Information Modeling (BIM)
• Use of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for materials
• Scenario modeling for reuse and end-of-life carbon impacts

Challenges Identified

• Data availability and standardization
• High skill and resource requirement for LCA practitioners
• Variability in regional carbon accounting norms

Expert Takeaway

Embedding LCA early in the planning and design phase empowers architects, engineers, and developers to make impactful material and system decisions before construction begins. Collaboration between stakeholders is necessary to operationalize LCA across project scales.

Material Innovation for Carbon Negativity

Beyond Efficiency: Materials as Sinks

One of the most exciting areas emerging from the expert conversation was the potential of innovative, carbon-negative materials. These materials not only avoid emissions—they actively sequester carbon during their lifecycle.

Promising Developments

Pilot Projects

• Amsterdam is trialing bio-based facades and recycled concrete in government-backed housing blocks.
• Community architecture projects in Scandinavia are deploying straw bale and rammed earth alternatives as low-carbon solutions.

Implementation Considerations

• Moisture control and fireproofing for natural materials
• Supply chain limitations for emerging material types
• Cost premiums and lack of market familiarity

Expert Outlook

Policymakers, developers, and contractors must transition toward demand-driven innovation pipelines. Long-term cost savings and carbon accounting incentives (e.g., carbon taxes) are expected to drive increased uptake of carbon-negative materials.

Real-Time Carbon Monitoring via Digital Twins

Enter the Digital Twin

Digital twin technology creates a virtual replica of buildings and urban infrastructure, enabling dynamic simulation and real-time monitoring of performance metrics—including carbon footprints.

Capabilities

• Real-time tracking of energy use and emissions
• Behavioral and operational scenario modeling
• Predictive analytics for maintenance and retrofits
• Integration with IoT sensors for physical-virtual feedback

Urban Scale Use Cases

• Amsterdam’s Smart City initiative incorporates digital twins across mobility, buildings, and energy systems
• Singapore’s Virtual Singapore program is pioneering city-scale LCA simulation

Barriers

• High setup costs and technical integration complexities
• Data privacy and cybersecurity concerns
• Requires cross-sector cooperation between tech, construction, and city planning domains

Expert Opinions

While still in its early stages for widespread adoption, digital twin technology represents the backbone of intelligent, low-carbon urban development. Experts urge industry stakeholders to begin investing in these digital capabilities as foundational infrastructure.

Regulatory Transformation and Futureproofing

Anticipated Policy Shifts

Evidence from both municipal pilots and EU-level directives indicates that regulations targeting embodied carbon accountability are imminent:

• The Dutch government mandates life cycle emissions reporting for new buildings starting 2025
• The European Commission is preparing updated frameworks under Level(s) and the Renovation Wave
• Several progressive cities have adopted procurement policies favoring low-carbon construction

Strategic Industry Responses

Stakeholder Preparedness

The experts warn that firms not actively engaging with carbon reporting and LCA technologies may soon find themselves non-compliant or competitively disadvantaged in tender processes.

Conclusion and Final Recommendations

The expert roundtable reveals a compelling transformation in how the architecture and construction industries approach carbon accountability. The transition from operational-focused to holistic carbon accounting represents more than a methodological shift—it signals a fundamental reimagining of sustainable design practice that encompasses the full lifecycle impact of built environments.

As carbon accounting frameworks mature and regulatory requirements intensify, the industry faces both unprecedented challenges and remarkable opportunities. The convergence of advanced materials, digital technologies, and evolving policy landscapes creates conditions for genuinely transformative change in how we design, construct, and operate buildings and urban systems.

The role of design professionals is evolving from traditional aesthetic and functional considerations to encompass complex environmental accounting and lifecycle thinking. However, the core mission remains unchanged: to create built environments that enhance quality of life while minimizing environmental impact and adapting to future challenges.

Strategic Imperatives for Industry Stakeholders

1. Integrate LCA methodologies into design workflows from project inception through post-occupancy evaluation.
2. Develop material innovation pipelines that prioritize carbon-negative and low-embodied carbon solutions.
3. Invest in digital infrastructure that enables real-time carbon monitoring and performance optimization.
4. Build regulatory preparedness through proactive engagement with emerging carbon accounting standards and procurement frameworks.
5. Foster collaborative networks that bridge academia, industry, and policy development to accelerate innovation adoption.

As the built environment sector navigates this complex transition, success will depend on the ability to balance technological advancement with practical implementation, regulatory compliance with design innovation, and global best practices with local contextual requirements. Organizations that can master this integration while maintaining focus on human-centered design principles will be positioned to lead the development of truly regenerative built environments.

The pathway toward holistic carbon accounting is not merely about measuring emissions—it represents a fundamental shift toward designing with the full lifecycle impact of our built environment in mind, creating spaces that not only meet today’s needs but actively contribute to climate resilience and environmental regeneration.