Webinars
Climate Compliance vs Action 2023
— An Update on “Buy Clean”, Emissions, EPDs, and Funding
An Environmental Law Institute Webinar
February 1, 2023
With merely 7 years remaining to meet 2030 emission targets, where do we stand with new policies and legislation? Are we on track to thwart global warming? Reducing embodied carbon has become mainstream; Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) have surfaced as the tool. ‘Buy Clean’ regulates embodied carbon and requires Environmental Product Declarations. Are EPDs alone enough? Is the compliance timeline sufficient?
The Inflation Reduction Act and Federal Buy Clean Initiative have inspired states and municipalities to regulate embodied carbon (Scope 3). Join the Environmental Law Institute and expert panelists for an update on Buy Clean policy, green funding, the status of carbon emissions, and a primer on EPDs, followed by an audience Q&A.
Panelists:
Bill Caplan, Author of Thwart Climate Change Now: Reducing Embodied Carbon Brick by Brick, Moderator/Presenter.
Ken Berlin, Senior Fellow, Global Energy Center, Atlantic Council.
Fatou Jabbie, Sustainability and Building Energy Simulation Engineer, MTA New York City Transit.
Chris Kardish, Industrial Fellow, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.
Keith Killpack, Technical Director, Environmental Certification Services, SCS Global Services.
Reducing Embodied Carbon
— to Reduce Global Warming
May 10, 2022
Global Warming, is increasing at an alarming rate. Something more obvious today, than it was ago.
Nearly, 40% of all, energy-related emissions worldwide arise from the construction, and operation of buildings. The built environment is our largest source of energy-related Climate Changing emissions. Everyone connected with the design, construction or development of buildings or infrastructure can help. Consequences from what we build today, from the next project, will persist for the next 50 to one-hundred years or more.
With sustainable design of the built environment’s singular focus on saving energy, Embodied Carbon is often taken for granted. Yet, embodied emissions are released to the atmosphere upfront. Which means we must start to reduce them now, and not wait until the 2030s.
The 1st Objective of this course is to clarify that urgency. To explain why we need to reduce emissions—immediately. To examine how many ‘more’ tons of Carbon emissions we may continue to emit before global warming gets out of hand—the status of our decarbonization, where we stand now.
The 2nd Objective explores the relationship between a building’s “embodied” and “operating” emissions. What are their respective, relationships to global warming?
The 3rd Objective explains why material databases and compilation tools are difficult to use and need more development.
The final objective discusses how we can reduce embodied carbon now—significantly—while we await more user-friendly tools.
Presented by the Bronx New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
Thwart Climate Change Now: Reducing Embodied Carbon Brick by Brick
February 1, 2022
An Environmental Law Institute Public Webinar
Join author Bill Caplan as he discusses his new book published by ELI Press—Thwart Climate Change Now: Reducing Embodied Carbon Brick by Brick. While climate policy typically focuses on future decarbonization 10 to 20 years out, temperatures continue to rise. Greenhouse gases emitted upfront from the materials, fabrication, construction, and renovation of our physical environment—embodied emissions—accelerate the rate of global warming now. Sadly, they increase atmospheric carbon before our buildings and infrastructure are even used. Often ignored or deemed too perplexing to resolve, the need to reduce embodied emissions immediately is the subject of this book. Bill Caplan will discuss three primary threads he wrote about: the urgent reality of now, misinformation and the green and sustainable palliatives, and reducing embodied carbon in the 2020s.
In addition, expert panelists will convene with the author to weigh in. How can we best tackle embodied carbon emissions? What design and policy issues overlook their own contribution to atmospheric carbon? What are the best strategies to slow the pace of climate change within the coming decade? Join the Environmental Law Institute and experts in the field to discuss the science of climate change, sustainable designs, green policies, and so much more.
Panelists:
Maxine Joselow, Staff Writer, The Washington Post, moderator
Kenneth Berlin, President and CEO, The Climate Reality Project
Meta Brunzema, R.A. LEED A.P., Architecture & Urban Design, Collective for Community, Culture, and Environment LLC
Bill Caplan, Author, Thwart Climate Change Now (presenter/panelist)
Meghan Lewis, Senior Researcher, Carbon Leadership Forum, University of Washington
Pratt Housing Consortium's Decarbonization Symposium—Earth Day 2022
April 20, 2022
Recording of the Pratt Housing Consortium's Decarbonization Symposium - Part I Welcome
Opening Remarks:
1. Frances Bronet, Pratt Institute President
2. David Burney, Pratt School of Architecture Housing
Consortium Topics:
a) The urgency of reducing Embodied Carbon in the 2020s - Why and How.
b) Bio-Materials for New & Existing Structure: Sustainable Forestry, Mass Timber Construction, Cross-laminate Timber (CLT).
c) Building Envelope Low-Carbon Retrofits.
Moderators:
1. Meta Brunzema, Architect, Collective for Community Culture & Environment, LLC, and Professor, Pratt Institute
2. Fatou Jabbie, Sustainability Consultant, NYC Accelerator, Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice
Panelists Presenting in Part 1:
1. Bill Caplan, Author of "Thwart Climate Change Now: Reducing Embodied Carbon Brick by Brick"
2. Paul L. Crovella, Environmental Engineer, SUNY, Environmental Science and Forestry
3. Gabrielle Brainard, Principle of Fabric First Architecture & Consulting, PLLC, and Professor at Pratt Institute
Electronic glitches and breaks have been removed.
