Materials Impact

Up to 50% of a building’s lifetime carbon emissions come from embodied carbon—the emissions generated from the production and construction of building materials. As the real estate sector moves toward net zero goals, reducing materials’ impact and upfront emissions is critical. Achieving this requires collaboration across the entire value chain, including architects, engineers, construction professionals, and building material suppliers.

ULI’s Decarbonization Program is leading efforts to help the real estate industry measure, manage, and reduce embodied carbon. Through its embodied carbon initiative, ULI convenes industry leaders to identify practical, cost-effective solutions for reducing emissions in the building material supply chain. ULI also supports the adoption of innovative materials, low-carbon design practices, and construction strategies that drive down embodied carbon and accelerate progress toward sustainable, net zero buildings.

Key Reports

The Developer’s Guide to Embodied Carbon (2024)

The Developer’s Guide to Embodied Carbon is designed to help real estate professionals and developers cut embodied carbon emissions at each stage of development. From concept and early visioning to a building’s end of life, the guide provides actionable strategies tailored for various project phases, with real-world case studies for each.

The Carbon Sweet Spot (2024)

In partnership with KPF, this ULI report presents three hypothetical analyses of buildings in different geographic and regulatory contexts: London, New York, and Singapore. These examples illustrate how real estate decision-makers can navigate the tradeoffs and opportunities that arise when pursuing reductions in both embodied and operational carbon emissions.

The Materials Movement: Creating Value with Better Building Materials (2024)

In the realm of construction, every component matters—from the concrete foundations to the final brush of paint. ULI’s new report provides an introduction for real estate owners, developers, and investors to understand why and how to integrate healthy, sustainable building materials to save carbon.

Six Myths: ULI Convenes Construction, Developer, Concrete, and Steel Industries to Accelerate Embodied-Carbon Reductions (2023)

ULI’s second Embodied Carbon Convening brought together developers, construction, concrete, and steel supplier industries to debunk and discuss misconceptions around reducing embodied carbon, specifically regarding concrete and steel.

ULI Convenes Executives from Construction and Developer Industries to Build Stronger Partnerships to Reduce Embodied Carbon (2023)

The first ULI Executive Convening on Embodied Carbon launched the first of many convenings to build stronger partnerships across the industry enabling accelerated advancement on sustainability improvements and beyond. ULI brought together executives in the construction and developer fields to discuss.

Embodied Carbon in Building Materials for Real Estate (2019)

This report prepares the real estate market for a low-carbon materials future, makes the business case for why real estate should pay attention, highlights smart steps to reduce embodied carbon, and showcases peers already addressing the issue.

Convenings