As a leader in design and construction software solutions for various high-emission industries, Autodesk understands the critical role it plays in reducing carbon footprints. This pressing need has driven the AEC industries to focus on making smarter decisions regarding building materials—a capability that wasn’t widely accessible until recently.
Over the past year, we’ve collaborated with the Carbon Leadership Forum, alongside partners like Skanska and C Change Labs, to develop the Embodied Carbon in Construction (EC3) tool. This innovative tool was unveiled today at the Greenbuild Expo in Atlanta and is now available in public beta.
The built environment's impact cannot be ignored—it accounts for nearly 40% of global CO2 emissions. With ongoing global growth, it's predicted that by 2060, the amount of new building floorspace will double. This equates to constructing an entire New York City every month for 40 years. Importantly, at least half of the carbon footprint of these new buildings comes from embodied carbon—the greenhouse gases emitted throughout the supply chain of building materials, including extraction, transport, and manufacturing.
Mitigating embodied carbon has been challenging due to the lack of tools to effectively understand and measure it. For instance, two materials might appear identical and perform similarly, yet have vastly different levels of embodied carbon. Recycled steel from a renewable energy-powered electric arc furnace could contrast sharply with virgin steel from a coal-fired furnace, despite their superficial similarities.
The EC3 tool addresses this issue by leveraging Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). It consolidates and presents embodied carbon data in a user-friendly format, enabling professionals to make informed, carbon-smart choices when specifying and procuring materials. What previously took days for experts can now be accomplished in minutes by general practitioners.
Autodesk has been a key sponsor of this initiative and has integrated EC3 with BIM 360. This integration allows AEC professionals to seamlessly transfer material quantity data from BIM 360 to the EC3 tool with just one click. The tool visualizes the embodied carbon impacts of material choices within the BIM 360 Model Viewer, turning models into interactive heat maps for easy analysis.
Recognizing that what gets measured gets managed, the EC3 tool aims to simplify and scale the reduction of carbon in the built environment. Bill Gates highlighted the tool in his recent Gates Notes blog post, “Buildings are bad for the climate,†emphasizing the urgency of achieving zero emissions. Microsoft is piloting the EC3 tool during a campus renovation at its headquarters in Redmond, Washington, while the Port of Seattle is also utilizing it in several pilot projects.
Autodesk’s commitment extends beyond the EC3 tool, as we continue investing in building performance analysis tools. These efforts empower architects, engineers, and contractors to collaborate more effectively, manage the total carbon footprint of their projects, and contribute to a carbon-positive built environment that benefits both people and the planet.
In addition to these developments, we’ve also created a detailed visualization of embodied carbon data in BIM models, which provides a clear picture of the environmental impact of each component. This screenshot showcases how EC3 integrates seamlessly into existing workflows, making sustainable choices more accessible than ever before.
Moreover, the EC3 tool’s potential is further illustrated by its application in real-world projects like Microsoft’s Redmond campus modernization. This rendering highlights the tool’s ability to transform complex data into actionable insights, driving progress toward a greener future.
By embracing tools like EC3, the construction industry is taking significant steps toward sustainability. As we continue to innovate and integrate these technologies, the path to a carbon-neutral future becomes clearer and more achievable.
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