The nonprofit Architecture 2030 has issued an additional challenge regarding the climate impact of building products in terms of imbedded carbon. The 2030 Challenge for Products aims to reduce the embodied carbon of building products 50% by 2030. According to the organization, 5-8% of total energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in the US result from the manufacture and transport of building products and the construction of buildings. Architecture 2030 plans to spend the next two years finalizing product category rules (PCRs) including product-specific carbon benchmarks based on current life cycle averages.
The challenge will be phased in. Carbon footprint of covered products should be reduced 30% by 2014, 35% by 2015, 40% by 2020 , 45% by 2025 and 50% by 2030. Manufacturers wishing to participate will commission a cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment (LCA) of at least one product. The carbon footprint will be determined by moderators developing the PCRs for each category, based on the LCA information. Once benchmarks are established, manufacturers will issue Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) which standardize data across product categories.