(H08) ABCs of GHG, SBTs, and CDP

This session will be presented from three perspectives: an architect, a corporate client, and a greenhouse gas accounting expert. Each perspective will be woven through the session, providing a unique lens as we cover each topic, allowing for questions from the audience throughout the presentation. Increasingly companies in the AEC industry are getting requests from clients to share greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, their climate targets & strategy, and create public sustainability reports. Compounded with the new SEC climate disclosure regulations, our industry is under increasing pressure to understand the GHG emissions footprint of not only our operations, but also how our design decisions impact both our and our client’s scope 3 emissions. Many firms are exploring the GHG emissions impact of their projects via LCAs, but this exercise is often done in a vacuum without understanding the full picture - such as the impact of sitework. We will discuss where LCAs fit into your and your client’s GHG emissions inventory and who is responsible for the GHG emissions from the construction and operation of a building. The session will begin with an overview of GHG inventories (scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions), how and why AEC firms should conduct GHG inventories, and recommendations for where to start. This will lead us into a discussion of science based targets (SBTs), zero-carbon programs, the AIA 2030 targets, and how they can work in conjunction. We will also discuss the role of carbon removals as a part of GHG emissions reductions. We will then move into the role of public disclosures, what clients may be asking from their consultants, and the role of TCFD and CDP in public reporting. We will share lessons learned for these public reporting frameworks. The session will conclude with open questions and discussion.