Publication

The time-value of carbon

“Is carbon saved today more valuable than carbon saved tomorrow?” As the built environment’s transition to net zero gains traction, our new report unpacks this critical question to help inform better decision making on projects.

Last updated: July 2024

The transition of the built environment to net zero is accelerating due to evolving policy, regulation, and finance, leading to an increased adoption of whole-life carbon assessments that measure a building’s greenhouse gas emissions over its lifespan.

Currently most standards and guidance assume that the time at which carbon emissions are released has no influence on the resulting burden. It’s not quite that simple.

In response to the emerging recognition of the ‘time-value of carbon’, our report:

Distils the underlying arguments;
Showcases the current approaches for quantifying these arguments;
Highlights adoption in regulations, standards and guidance; and
Provides practical guidance for applying these approaches to inform better decision making.