Accounting for the life-cycle carbon emissions of new dwellings in the U.K.

Carbon emissions from the construction and operation of dwellings account for nearly a third of the UK’s total emissions. By 2016, all new-build dwellings are expected to be ‘zerocarbon’, meaning net emissions from operation will be zero or less. Emissions associated with the construction of dwellings, however, have largely been ignored in legislation. By 2016, such emissions will make up 100% of emissions associated with a new dwelling. This paper describes the development of a life-cycle carbon footprinting model that estimates carbon emissions arising from all stages of a dwelling’s life, including construction, operation, and decommission. The model is intended to be used as a design tool to reduce emissions from each stage, and promotes the use of local, renewable, natural and environmentally-friendly building materials and services, as well as design for low-energy demand. Using the model, it has been shown how the life-cycle carbon emissions of a case-study dwelling can be reduced by 70% over a 100 year life.