Introduction

Buildings are responsible for 21% of global greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). These can be split into operational emissions (such as energy consumption while buildings are used), and embodied emissions (emissions from the production, maintenance, and waste treatment of building materials). Embodied emissions of buildings account for almost 5-12% of national GHGs across European countries. Much of this impact comes from the energy-intensive production of cement and steel, which are the top two building materials used globally, along with masonry (bricks, blocks, and stone).

Biobased construction materials are composed of matter derived from biogenic origins. They typically have lower embodied GHG emissions than conventional materials because they 1) are mostly composed of renewable, biogenic carbon, which comes with low or even negative embodied emissions, and 2) can have less energy-intensive manufacturing processes.

If the construction material has an expected carbon storage duration of 100 years or more, then the biogenic content of that material counts towards removal Riverse Carbon Credits (RCCs). Regardless of their carbon storage duration, all biobased construction materials are eligible for avoidance RCCs, if the biobased construction material has lower embodied impacts than conventional materials thanks to its low-carbon inputs.