FOOTPRINT+ 2024: Embodied Ecological Impact

Another thing to consider!

Another presentation I attended during FOOTPRINT+ was titled “Embodied Ecological Impact of Materials”, which introduced the topic of local impacts of material extraction and production, over and above carbon.

Clare Goggin chaired the insightful session where we heard from Will Arnold, Kai Liebetanz, Eva MacNamara and Michael Burgass. This is a pretty new topic and so it really was just a primer.

My key takeaway was that this will grow in importance but we are some way off having metrics and targets, instead the focus today should be on data gathering. If you are thinking of digging into this on a project, perhaps walk before you run, and just pick a couple of materials to focus on.

Above all though, you should still adopt the general philosophy (and mantra of Propetual) to “use less stuff and be more efficient”.

What is EEI?

Embodied Ecological Impacts (EEI) refer to the effects on biodiversity and ecosystems from all processes involved in the lifecycle of construction materials, from extraction to disposal. But unlike embodied carbon (which has a uniform impact on global warming) EEI varies locally depending on the specific environmental context.

The construction industry significantly impacts global biodiversity through resource extraction, habitat destruction, pollution, and introduction of invasive species. This is all essential stuff for ecosystem resilience, human health, and climate regulation.

Why should we address EEI?

The construction industry is a significant contributor to biodiversity loss, with activities impacting species and habitats across the globe. The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) and Expedition Engineering reports highlight that the construction sector is responsible for 50% of material extraction and 62% of waste generation in the UK. So understanding and mitigating EEI is needed to prevent further ecological degradation and to align with global biodiversity goals, such as those outlined in the Kunming-Montreal Agreement.

Have a look at the Materials Map to see where some of our key materials really come from.

What Now?

You are most likely already thinking about and making decisions with a sort of hierarchy in mind. This approach also works here, for example prioritising reuse at the top, using recycled or regenerative/bio-based materials somewhere in the middle, and then optimising designs, low-impact extraction and new materials being at the bottom.

Within the above are some circular economy principles, however don’t forget to design for disassembly to ensure anything you use today can be easily reused in the future.

Key to moving EEI forward is the gathering of data on ecological impacts throughout the supply chain and advocating for transparent and sustainable practices among suppliers.

You should also be on the lookout for responsible sourcing and certification schemes like FSC and PEFC to ensure materials are sourced sustainably.

The Future?

EEI considerations will likely become integral to established environmental assessment frameworks such as BREEAM, although to some extent it kind of fits in already when doing a materiality assessment. Specific targets and metrics may still be a way off.

There is a lot of work to do to create methodologies for assessing EEI, but as they become more sophisticated the industry will develop tools for quantifying and comparing the biodiversity impacts of different materials - remember the impact is location specific, unlike carbon.

Just as with carbon, it’s hard to see how regulations will not eventually mandate some reporting and reduction of EEI, ensuring compliance and alignment with national and international biodiversity targets.

There’s still a lot to research and learn on this topic, so cross-sector collaboration will be crucial for taking it forward. Sharing knowledge, case studies, and best practices will enable the industry to collectively understand and address the challenges and opportunities of EEI.

If you want to know more, contibute to the learning or share data/research on this, reach out to Kai at nature@ukgbc.org.