ADDRESSING EMBODIED CARBON 21

In collaboration with BCA and SGBC, JTC commissioned NUS-ESI to develop a unified Building Embodied Carbon Calculator (BECC) that has replaced the current BCA carbon calculator. It is customised for local industry use and includes key features such as accounting for upfront carbon of materials used with adapted carbon emission factors to reflect the carbon footprint of projects within the local context.

The implementation of the BECC provides the industry with a unified tool to make informed decisions on material and product selections to reduce the carbon footprint of projects for use under the Sustainable Construction section of the Code for Environmental Sustainability of Buildings (Edition 4.0) and the Green Mark 2021 Whole Life Carbon badge.

The BECC is aligned with the SGBC’s growing emphasis on reducing and optimising carbon emissions through upskilling of industry professionals’ carbon capabilities and developing an ecosystem to raise the adoption rate of environmental product declarations (EPD) to support the built environment’s transformation to one that is greener, healthier and low-carbon.

The Calculator directly supports the Singapore Built Environment Embodied Carbon Pledge launched by SGBC in 2021. Counting nearly 100 signatories from the built environment sector, the Pledge helps to unify and amplify industry action anchored on three key principles:

Opting for building materials with lower embodied carbon Minimising materials usage and wastage through collaborative design and optimisation

Transforming construction site processes to utilise electricity and renewable sources of energy