Embodied Carbon
Embodied carbon is the total greenhouse-gas emissions associated with the materials and construction of a building, measured in kilograms of CO2-equivalent (kg CO2e). It includes raw-material extraction, manufacturing, transport, and installation — separate from operational carbon, which is the emissions from heating, cooling, and powering the building once it's in use. For a typical new home, embodied carbon represents 30-70 tonnes CO2e — equivalent to driving an average car 75,000-175,000 miles before move-in day.