Market Overview: Unveiling Digital Solutions For Lifecycle Carbon Reduction In The Built Environment

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Executive Summary

The building and construction sector exerts a significant environmental influence, prompting leaders throughout the real estate value chain to prioritize and intensify their endeavours to mitigate the industry’s carbon footprint. This report provides an overview of the digital solutions available to real estate and built environment professionals to measure, manage, report and – crucially – reduce carbon emissions. Given the diverse array of providers offering carbon-related solutions for the built environment, this report considers tools across various categories, encompassing lifecycle assessment (LCA), product lifecycle management (PLM), ESG data and reporting, energy management, carbon accounting and management, and building information modelling (BIM) and digital twin technologies. With carbon emissions emanating from each stage of the building life cycle, this report examines all phases, from design and construction to operations and end of life. 

Table of contents

Decarbonizing the built environment demands digital tools
Varied standards exist to examine carbon emissions, catering to different real estate professionals
Climate change, compliance and consumer awareness propel net zero to the fore
Firms are spurred to curb their carbon emissions by financial incentives
A disconnected real estate value chain, coupled with data hurdles, hinders carbon management
Introducing the market for digital solutions addressing carbon in the built environment
A diverse ecosystem of providers forms the building blocks for decarbonization
Stakeholders derive distinct benefits from software to measure, manage and mitigate carbon consumption
Widespread building decarbonization will require digital solutions that are accessible and open

Table of figures

Figure 1. Relationship between two frameworks for measuring carbon in the built environment
Figure 2. Collaboration on decarbonization of the built environment by critical stakeholders across the building life cycle
Figure 3. Landscape of providers of digital solutions for building-related carbon measurement and management

Organisations mentioned

Arup, Athena, Autodesk, Axis, Bentley Systems, Boon Edam, BRE Group, British Land, Bueno Systems, Carbon Risk Real Estate Monitor (CRREM), Carrier, CBRE, CDP, Dassault Systèmes, D-Carbonize, Deepki, Dekker Perich Sabatini (DPS), Dublin City Council, EcoEnergy Insights, Emerson, Emitwise, Energy Impact Partners, Energy Star, EnergyCAP, FigBytes, gbXML, Generali, GHG Protocol, Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Globalworth, GRESB (Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark), Grosvenor, Honeywell, IBM, IBM Envizi, InfraVia Capital Partners, Integrated Environmental Solutions (IES), Interface, International Organization for Standardization (ISO), International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), Johnson Controls, Laing O’Rourke, Lake Flato Architects, LaSalle, Lendlease, Low Carbon Building Initiative (LCBI), Makersite, Measurabl, Nemetschek, Net Zero Asset Managers initiative, Nooco, Normative, nZero, One Click LCA, openLCA, Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF), Patrizia, Position Green, PRé Sustainability, PSG Equity, RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects), RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors), Rubenstein Partners, Savills UK, Schneider Electric, Siemens, Siemens Digital Industries, SimaPro, Sphera, Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), Sway Ventures, Swiss Life Asset Managers, TallyLCA, Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), UN Environment Programme (UNEP), US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Vinci Energies, World Resources Institute (WRI)

About the authors

Amelia Feehan

Senior Analyst
Amelia is a Senior Analyst in the Verdantix Smart Buildings practice. Her current research agenda focuses on digital twins, IoT solutions and architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) software. Prior to joining Verdantix, Amelia worked as a façade engineer at Arup, where she gained experience in sustainable building design and construction. She holds an MEng in Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering from Trinity College Dublin.

Claire Stephens

Research Director, Smart Buildings
Claire Stephens is Research Director of the Smart Buildings team. With 18 years of experience in the sector, Claire is recognized as an expert in industries that make up the built environment, in particular, corporate and commercial real estate, and workplace and sustainability technologies. At Verdantix, Claire will be digging into building technology for building owners, occupiers and investors, focusing on how to support them in reaching their ESG objectives. Prior to her arrival at Verdantix, Claire launched Asia’s first corporate real estate, green building and building technology publications. She has also delivered full lifecycle real estate consultancy services covering a broad range of asset types in industries including financial services, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, technology, consumer goods, media, retail and hospitality.

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