A Review of Embodied Energy Strategies to reduce the carbon emissions in Sustainable Buildings

Year : 2025 | Volume : 03 | Issue : 01 | Page : 18-27
    By

    Baishali Pradhan,

  • Bandana Jha,

  1. Phd Research Scholar, Department of Architecture, School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, India
  2. Professor, Department of Architecture, School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, India

Abstract

Buildings in India account for almost one-fifth of the nation’s carbon emissions, making it the third- largest carbon emitter globally. These emissions are expected to climb by 50% over the next 20 years, which is the biggest increase of any nation. You would have to go into a jungle to avoid concrete, steel, and aluminium since they are so common. Just these three substances are responsible for 23% of the world’s carbon emissions. They are widely employed in modern buildings and infrastructures. To achieve our climate targets, we must cut and eliminate emissions connected with these materials. Buildings account for roughly 40% of annual carbon emissions, with 12% coming from embodied carbon and 28% from operational carbon. Construction materials are extracted, processed, and manufactured before being delivered to the site and combined to form the building. These emissions are expected to climb by 50% over the next two decades, the most of any country. During this period, India’s built floor space is predicted to more than double, resulting in a large need for building materials. Cement consumption will more than treble, steel demand will nearly quadruple, and brick demand will rise three to fourfold. Buildings have long lifespans, so the effects of embodied carbon are locked in for decades. The International Energy Agency believes that currently available alternative materials might lower world cumulative emissions by 70%. This study investigates techniques for lowering CO2 emissions by addressing embodied energy in sustainable buildings. This study examines the impact of embodied energy in the building, materials specification, lifecycle energy analysis using embodied energy, and solutions for optimizing embodied energy from buildings.

Keywords: Embodied energy, CO2 emissions, materials, sustainable buildings, LCEA

[This article belongs to International Journal of Architectural Design and Planning ]

How to cite this article:
Baishali Pradhan, Bandana Jha. A Review of Embodied Energy Strategies to reduce the carbon emissions in Sustainable Buildings. International Journal of Architectural Design and Planning. 2025; 03(01):18-27.
How to cite this URL:
Baishali Pradhan, Bandana Jha. A Review of Embodied Energy Strategies to reduce the carbon emissions in Sustainable Buildings. International Journal of Architectural Design and Planning. 2025; 03(01):18-27. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/ijadp/article=2025/view=198338


References

  1. 1.      Slesser M. Macmillan Dictionary of Energy. 2nd Edn. London: Macmillan; 1988.
    2.      Niti Aayog. (2023). India Energy Security Scenario. [Online]. http://iess2047.gov.in.
    3.      Adams S, Nsiah C. Reducing carbon dioxide emissions; Does renewable energy matter? Sci Total Environ. 2019; 693: 133288.
    4.      International Energy Agency. 2021 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction: Towards a Zero- Emissions, Efficient and Resilient Buildings and Construction Sector. Nairobi, Kenya: United Nations Environment Programme; 2021.
    5.      Alhorr Y, Eliskandarani E, Elsarrag E. Approaches to reducing carbon dioxide emissions in the built environment: Low carbon cities. Int J Sustain Built Environ. 2014; 3(2): 167–178.
    6.      Bilal M, Khan KIA, Thaheem MJ, Nasir AR. Current state and barriers to the circular economy in the building sector: Towards a mitigation framework. J Clean Prod. 2020; 276: 123250.
    7.      Lin Z, Gámez JLS, editors. Vertical Urbanism: Designing Compact Cities in China. London: Routledge; 2018. DOI:10.4324/9781351206839.
    8.      Cellura M, Guarino F, Longo S, Tumminia G. Climate change and the building sector: Modelling and energy implications to an office building in southern Europe. Energy Sustain Dev. 2018; 45: 46–65.
    9.      Chang C-T, Yang C-H, Lin T-P. Carbon dioxide emissions evaluations and mitigations in the building and traffic sectors in Taichung metropolitan area, Taiwan. J Clean Prod. 2019; 230:
    1241–1255.
    10. Australian Government. Your Home. [Online]. https://www.yourhome.gov.au/materials/embodied-
    11.  International Energy Agency. 2018 Global Status Report: Towards a Zero-Emission, Efficient and Resilient Buildings and Construction. Nairobi, Kenya: United Nations Environment Programme; 2018.
    12.  Khozema Ahmed Ali, Mardiana Idayu Ahmad, Yusri Yusup. Issues, Impacts, and Mitigations of Carbon Dioxide. Sustainability. 2020 Sep 10; 12(18): 7427.
    13.  Klufallah MM, Nuruddin MF, Khamidi MF, Jamaludin N. Assessment of Carbon Emission Reduction. E3S Web of Conferences; EDP Sciences, Bangi. 2014; 3: 01016.
    14.  Kumar Amit, Rajeev Ralhan, Ram Joshi, Aayush Nautiyal Bhaskar Nath. Low embodied energy building materials in India. PwC India: European Union. 2020.
    15.  Lindsey Rebecca. (2024 Apr 9). Climate Change: Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide. [Online]. Climate.gov.
    16.  Nathani Sakshi. Role of Building Material Industry in Achieving Low Carbon Growth. India: Shakti Foundation. 2024.
    17.  Paoletti E, Manes F. Effects of elevated carbon dioxide and acidic rain on the growth of holm oak. Developments in Environmental Science. The Netherlands: Elsevier. 2003; 3: 375–389.
    18.  Osborne C. The potential of social capital to contribute to best practice urban planning outcomes. Proc Assoc Eur Sch Plan (AESOP). 2015;13:5.
    19.  Riffat Sb, MA. Building Energy Consumption and Carbon dioxide Emissions: Threat to Climate Change. J Earth Sci Clim Chang. 2015; S3: 001.
    20.  Sandanayake M, Zhang G, Setunge S. Estimation of environmental emissions and impacts of building construction—A decision making tool for contractors. J Build Eng. 2019; 21: 173–185.
    21.  Global Carbon Atlas. (2023). Carbon story – Global Carbon Atlas. [online] Available from: https://globalcarbonatlas.org/emissions/carbon-story/.
    22.  Ibn-Mohammed T, Greenough R. Operational vs. embodied emissions in buildings—A review of current trends. Energy Build. 2013; 66: 232–245.
    23.  United Nations. (2020). Sustainable Development Goals. [Online]. https://www.un.org/sustainable
    development/.
    24.  United Nations. World Urbanization Prospects: The 2018 Revision. New York, NY, USA: Department of Economic and Social Affairs; 2019.
    25.  IEA. Global CO2 emissions from buildings, including embodied emissions from new construction, 2022. Paris: IEA; 2023. https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/charts/global-co2-emissions-from-buildings-including-embodied-emissions-from-new-construction-20.
    26.  Yang F, Chen L. High-rise urban form and microclimate: climate-responsive design for Asian mega-cities. Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd; 2020.
    27.  Praseeda KI, Venkatarama Reddy BV, Monto Mani. Embodied energy assessment of building materials in India using process and input–output analysis. Energy Build. 2015; 86: 677–686.
    28.  Lawson B. Embodied Energy of Building Materials. Environment Design Guide. 2006; 1–5. http://www.jstor.org/stable/26148351.
    29.  Manish Dixit, Culp C, Sarel Lavy, Jose Fernandez-Solis. Recurrent embodied energy and its relationship with service life and life cycle energy: A review paper. Emerald Group Publishing Limited; Facilities. 2014; 32(3/4): 160–181.
    30.  Mohan S. Embodied and Operational Carbon in Buildings: Strategies to Decarbonize. Singapore: Springer Nature; 2024.
    31.  Ramesh T, Ravi Prakash, Shukla KK. Life cycle energy analysis of buildings: An overview. Energy Build. 2010; 42(10): 1592–1600.
Regular Issue Subscription Review Article
Volume 03
Issue 01
Received 05/10/2024
Accepted 19/11/2024
Published 25/01/2025
Total Visits: 80


My IP

PlumX Metrics