Greenbuild 2021 – Net Zero Embodied Carbon Structures – SE 2050 Commitment

This session explains the newly launched Structural Engineers (SE) 2050 Commitment Program by the Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). SE 2050 is a national program with goals of reducing the embodied carbon of our structural systems to net zero by 2050 through education, tracking of embodied carbon, and establishing reduction targets over time. Modeled after the AIA 2030 Commitment, this program focuses on tracking and reducing embodied carbon in structural framing systems. SE 2050 is the only national embodied carbon program focused on structural framing systems and their relationship to climate change. An introduction of the SE 2050 database used to track embodied carbon will be included and the embodied carbon differences of various structural system types and materials will be presented. We will show how structural-engineer-supplied material quantities and embodied carbon impacts supplied in the pilot-phase of the program were used to establish benchmarks or target values for various structural materials and systems. We will review how achievable embodied carbon targets will be determined and reduced over time to achieve zero net embodied carbon by 2050. Solutions to the challenges associated with current and emerging building materials to achieve the goal of net zero embodied carbon will be presented. We will provide insight into how to engage your structural engineer in climate change and how we are securing structural engineering firm commitments. We will provide highlights of the embodied carbon action plan that committed firms must produce upon signing up and how we feel it will lead to substantive embodied carbon reductions. Finally, we will give an overview of how SE 2050 aligns with other climate change initiatives, including LEED Zero, the LEED Materials and Resources Building Life Cycle Impact Reduction credit and changes in v4.1, plus newer embodied-carbon pilot credits.

Learning Objectives

List 5 ways you can engage your structural engineer in embodied carbon reductions and 5 ways you can reduce the embodied carbon of your structural framing system.

Learn embodied carbon reduction targets associated with embodied carbon programs, including SE 2050, and how collaboration with other programs like AIA 2030 is critical.

Learn how to incorporate embodied carbon reductions of the structural system on your projects and how to engage your structural engineer early in the process.

Learn about initial embodied carbon data collection efforts of SE 2050 that are allowing structural engineers to understand how their structural systems compare to established benchmarks.

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