Reducing Embodied Carbon of Construction Materials

• About C-MORE
• Grant Program
• Technical Assistance
• Improving Data Quality
• Setting Thresholds
• Labeling Materials & Products

Through grants and direct technical assistance, EPA helps manufacturers access markets where their customers require the reporting of embodied greenhouse gas emissions for construction materials through environmental product declarations (EPDs). EPA is also developing a label program to help ensure manufacturers that invest in developing EPDs and lowering their embodied emissions can demonstrate these achievements to their customers.  

EPA Initiatives to Address Embodied Carbon of Construction Materials

EPA provides direct technical assistance, resources and tools to manufacturers and other organizations supporting manufacturers in developing EPDs. These programs build upon EPA’s work in the ENERGY STAR Industrial Program, Significant New Alternatives Policy, Sustainable Materials Management Program, and the Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program, among others. This work includes: 

• Technical assistance for manufacturers in the development of Environmental Product Declarations, and 

• EPA's label program to help ensure manufacturers that invest in developing EPDs and lowering their embodied emissions can demonstrate these achievements to their customers

EPA’s Interim Determination on “Substantially Lower Embodied Carbon” Construction Materials

In December 2022, EPA issued an Interim Determination (pdf) (117.73 KB) (and cover memo (pdf) (190.25 KB) ) to the General Services Administration (GSA) and Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (DOT-FHWA). The Interim Determination provided actionable guidance on selecting substantially lower embodied carbon materials and products. This Interim Determination allowed these agencies to begin purchasing qualifying materials and products.

EPA’s Interim Determination focused on interpreting “substantially lower” embodied carbon for four construction materials prioritized by the Federal Buy Clean Task Force based on embodied carbon emissions and their significance to government procurement: cement/concrete, glass, asphalt, and steel. The Interim Determination also identified the use of minimally processed salvaged and reused materials/products and associated services as viable options for meeting Inflation Reduction Act low embodied carbon infrastructure goals.  

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