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Reduce
As Aotearoa moves toward a low carbon economy, our heavy engineering industry needs to step forward and actively acknowledge its vital role.
The first challenge is reducing the steel industryโs emissions. This is because carbon is primarily used in the steel making process as a reductant (rather than a fuel). And currently, no commercially viable alternative exists for coal as the reductant in steel making.
The second, is that we need Aotearoa to stop focusing on embodied carbon and instead focus on lifecycle carbon emissions. Embodied carbon only considers carbon at the point in time that a building is built. Lifecycle carbon also considers carbon that is emitted during operations and at the end-of-life of a building.
The third is that we need to develop a design framework to reduce construction waste and lifecycle embodied carbon and enhance the circular economy for construction materials across all materials.
Our research is focused on solving these challenges.
Zero carbon steel
A robust carbon offsetting program
The worldโs first comprehensive steel product offset calculator.
In response to our role in reducing Aotearoa New Zealandโs carbon emissions โ weโve developed the worldโs first comprehensive steel product offset calculator. This is part of our steel product carbon offset program โ Hลtaka Whakakore Puhanga Waro (mo te Hua Rino), which has been developed to provide a robust carbon offsetting program for steel products in Aotearoa.
As there is currently no commercially viable alternative for coal as the reductant in steel making at the moment, it is important for the industry to utilise carbon offsetting as a mechanism to reduce net emissions.
A program based on science and independence.
The core offsetting calculations in this program are based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). This means the data is publicly available and peer-reviewed and calculated in a consistent and comparable way across products.
In consultation with us, the program rules were developed by independent sustainability advisors at thinkstep-anz. HERA, as an independent research association, has no vested interest in supporting one steel product, supplier or manufacturer above another. HERA Certification is an independent certification arm providing an impartial partner in the verification of your offsets and subsequent certification.
Low carbon design
Cutting carbon in half with clever design!
A framework to reduce constructions impacts.
This research is a $772K project titled โCircular design for a changing environment: a design framework to reduce construction waste, lifecycle embodied carbon, and to enhance the circular economy for construction materials, with a pilot for low-rise buildingsโ of which $150K funding was received from BRANZ, funded by the building research levy. This project was also supported by an industry advisory group who came from a diverse range of backgrounds, roles and businesses to inform this mahi.
Early work focused on understanding trends in sustainable design skills, identifying barriers to achieving more sustainable outcomes, and analysing design obstacles throughout the life cycle assessment modules. We have since developed comprehensive low carbon design guidance for low-rise buildings using steel and steel-hybrid construction, offering clear, actionable insights into low carbon design principles and strategies. The findings have demonstrated that up to a 50% reduction in carbon emissions can be achieved through innovative design approaches.
Looking ahead, we plan to broaden the scope to include all building typologies and roll out training to ensure the sector can more readily adopt these sustainable design strategies.
Life cycle assessment
Advocating for Module D โ circular assessment.
Lifecycle carbon assessments for buildings are most effective when calculated in a standardised way, such as through Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) or by using transparent modular calculations.
The modules used in European Standards are:
- Module A โ from production of the construction products and their assembly into buildings;
- Module B โ the use of the building over its design life;
- Module C โ the end-of-life of the building including demolition and disposal of the demolition waste; and
- Module D โ considers building lifetime, including the reuse and recycling potential of materials and products recovered from the end-of-life of the building.
To ensures a more comprehensive evaluation of a building’s environmental impact and to promote sustainable practices throughout the entire lifecycle we advocate for the use of Module D, which takes the assessment from a โcradle to graveโ approach into a โcradle to cradleโ one, aligning with circular economy principles rather than a linear model.
Unpack life cycle assessment and modules today!
We get it! This life cycle stuff can be a bit confusing – especially when it comes to all the different modules and what they represent!
To help, we’ve created some quick reference infographics which breaks them down for you.
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LCA is the backbone of data-driven decision-making in our Construction 4.0 project to evaluate and optimise circular design.