Building Transparency’s EC3 Tool Surpasses 10,000 Users

Rapid adoption signals building industry’s appetite for understanding the carbon footprint of the entire supply chain.

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Building Transparency, an organization that provides open access data and tools that help reduce embodied carbon emissions and foster a better building future, announces today that its cornerstone tool, the Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3) tool, has surpassed 10,000 users. This milestone comes just a year after the EC3 tool’s public beta launch in November 2019, signaling that the building industry is eager to better understand the carbon footprint of the entire supply chain for materials and construction.

“Until now, the modern green building movement has largely focused on reducing operational energy – the energy used to heat, cool and power buildings – which is easy to see and measure. While this effort has produced many successes, it’s not enough,” said Stacy Smedley, Chair and Executive Director of Building Transparency.

“Embodied carbon makes up half of a building’s total carbon emissions, so we launched the EC3 tool knowing that it is critical that the building industry grasp their carbon footprint across the entire supply chain in order to reduce emissions during procurement,” Smedley added. “With 10,000 users and counting, it is clear that there is both a need and growing support for this kind of open access data to foster a better building future.”

EC3 is a free and easy to use tool that allows benchmarking, assessment and reductions in embodied carbon per material category, focused on the upfront supply chain emissions of construction materials. The EC3 tool also allows owners, green building certification programs and policymakers to assess supply chain data in order to create EPD requirements and set project level embodied carbon reductions per material category. The tool and its subsequent effect on the industry is driving demand for low-carbon solutions and incentivizing construction materials manufacturers and suppliers to invest in disclosure, transparency and material innovations that reduce the carbon emissions of their products.

Support from Progressive, Global Organizations
In addition to a Board of Directors comprised of leaders from several global organizations, Building Transparency and the EC3 tool are supported by several influential organizations who share a commitment to addressing embodied carbon’s role in climate change.

In January 2021, Building Transparency welcomed two new pilot partners, Turner Construction and Mercury, a European-headquartered contractor that is cementing the EC3 tool’s international application.

“Building Transparency, along with our execution partners, the Carbon Leadership Forum and C Change Labs, are inspired by the expertise and influence our partners bring to the table,” said Smedley. “It’s clear that more and more companies are paying attention to the importance of embodied carbon in the fight against climate change and that they are willing to lead by example by choosing low-carbon options.”

About Building Transparency
Building Transparency is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides open access data and tools that support broad and swift action across the building industry in addressing embodied carbon’s role in climate change. Formed in 2020, Building Transparency hosts, manages and maintains the Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3) tool, which provides thousands of digitized EPDs in a free, open-source database. Building Transparency strives to provide the resources and education necessary to promote adoption of the EC3 tool, including through the official materialsCAN program, and works with global policymakers to shape a better building future.

Learn more about Building Transparency at www.buildingtransparency.org.