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This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the limitations and uncertainties of life-cycle assessment (LCA) tools used to compare the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of concrete, steel, and wood in the built environment. It argues that current LCAs often lack transparency and omit critical data—particularly regarding biogenic carbon in wood—which can lead to misleading conclusions about the relative performance of building materials. The report concludes that prioritizing energy efficiency and building longevity offers greater mitigation potential than focusing on material substitution alone.

This policy brief outlines strategies for enhancing resilience in the built environment to combat climate change, focusing on robust design, the mitigation of urban heat island effects, and the adoption of sustainable architectural and planning protocols.

This case study describes the efforts of the City of Menlo Park and the nonprofit Menlo Spark to achieve a zero-carbon future by 2025. It details a comprehensive approach to the built environment, including updated zoning and general plans that mandate renewable energy for all energy uses, sustainable building standards, and strategies to reduce vehicle miles traveled in a car-centric suburb.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines strategies for increasing the climate resilience of the urban built environment, with a specific focus on the Canadian Prairies. It discusses the risks posed by climate variability, the impact of the urban heat island effect, and the application of design protocols and urban planning paradigms to mitigate these risks.

This preliminary report-out documents the outcomes of the Transformation to Zero Summit held on October 15, 2016. Convened by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), New Buildings Institute (NBI), and Architecture 2030, the summit aimed to establish a roadmap for achieving a zero carbon built environment by 2050 through industry collaboration, policy levers, and investment in building efficiency and renewable energy.

This fact sheet from RMI outlines the energy inefficiency of the United States building stock and presents five key solutions to transform the built environment, as detailed in the publication 'Reinventing Fire'.

This guide introduces the concept of 'green building' as a holistic, integrated approach to design and construction aimed at reducing resource consumption and enhancing quality of life. It emphasizes that resource efficiency is achieved through early interdisciplinary collaboration and the optimization of interlinked systems rather than the piecemeal addition of environmental components.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) discusses gaps in life-cycle assessments (LCAs) used to measure greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the built environment. It argues that current LCAs may misdirect decarbonization efforts due to data gaps, lack of transparency, and the omission of biogenic carbon emissions from wood products.

This briefing describes a Canadian study by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) that identifies critical gaps in Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) used to measure greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the built environment. The study warns that current LCAs may mislead decision-makers by omitting biogenic carbon from wood products and ignoring regional variability, potentially resulting in suboptimal decarbonization efforts for buildings.

This June 2014 consultation background paper, published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), outlines the framework for updating Manitoba's climate change and green economy plans. It focuses specifically on the built environment and energy sectors, detailing the province's current emissions profile, the role of clean energy exports, and the need to integrate adaptation and mitigation strategies to enhance resilience against extreme weather events.

This fact sheet provides guidance for designers and specifiers on reducing embodied carbon in the built environment through strategic design, material substitution, and specification.

This policy brief from RMI outlines the role of policymakers in reducing embodied carbon in the built environment, emphasizing the use of regulations, incentives, and standards to drive private-sector reductions and stimulate market demand for low-carbon materials.

This fact sheet from RMI provides guidance for real estate developers on reducing embodied carbon—the emissions associated with building materials and construction—which accounts for at least one-quarter of the energy-related global carbon emissions attributed to buildings.