Guidelines

Embodied Carbon Guidelines

Version 1.0
Approved by Chief Building Official on October, 2023
Last amended October 18, 2023
Table of Contents
Background and Context .......................................................................................................................................................................1
Intent ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................2
Application ..................................................................................................................................................................................................2
Definitions and Acronyms ................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Definitions ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Acronyms ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 6
Embodied Carbon Guidelines .............................................................................................................................................................7
1 General ..........................................................................................................................................................................................7
1.1 References ...................................................................................................................................................................................7
2 Compliance................................................................................................................................................................................. 8
2.1 Calculate the Embodied Carbon of the Proposed Design ..................................................................................... 8
2.2 Calculate the Embodied Carbon Benchmark .............................................................................................................. 8
2.3 Calculate the Embodied Carbon Limit ..........................................................................................................................10
2.4 Determine Compliance .......................................................................................................................................................... 11
2.5 Document Compliance ......................................................................................................................................................... 12
3 Specification of the Object of Assessment ................................................................................................................. 13
3.1 General ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 13
3.2 Life Cycle Stages .................................................................................................................................................................... 13
3.3 Building Elements ................................................................................................................................................................... 13
4 Quantifying Embodied Carbon ......................................................................................................................................... 16
4.1 General ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 16
4.2 Establishing a Bill of Materials........................................................................................................................................... 16
4.3 Embodied Carbon Quantification ...................................................................................................................................20
4.4 Treatment of Special Topics ............................................................................................................................................. 29
5 Creating a Baseline ...............................................................................................................................................................30
5.1 General .......................................................................................................................................................................................30
5.2 Functional Equivalency .......................................................................................................................................................30
5.3 Approaches to Creating a Baseline ................................................................................................................................ 31
5.4 Default Baseline Assumptions.......................................................................................................................................... 32
6 Documentation ....................................................................................................................................................................... 36
6.1 Embodied Carbon Design Report (Required)........................................................................................................... 36
6.2 Other Submittal Requirements ........................................................................................................................................ 36
Appendices .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 38
Appendix A: References ........................................................................................................................................................A-1

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 A.1 Normative References ........................................................................................................................................................A-1
A.2 Informative References .....................................................................................................................................................A-2
Appendix B: Additional Information on the Specification of the Object of Assessment .......................... B-1
B.1 Life Cycle Stages .................................................................................................................................................................. B-1
B.2 Building Elements, Required and Optional Scope for Compliance ...............................................................B-4
Appendix C: Additional Information on Quantifying Embodied Carbon ......................................................... C-1
C.1 Lifespan of Elements and Products .............................................................................................................................. C-1

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List of Figures
Figure 1: Areas Included in Gross Floor Area and Object of Assessment ......................................................................10
Figure 2: Life Cycle Stages and the System Boundary ........................................................................................................ B-1

List of Tables
Table 1: Default Common-practice Assemblies and Materials for the Key Building Elements ............................. 18
Table 2: Default Materials and Product Assumptions and EPD Selection .................................................................... 24
Table 3: Calculating Embodied Carbon of the Baseline Relative to the Proposed Design ................................... 32
Table 4: Assumptions for Below-Grade Parkade Levels in the Baseline ....................................................................... 33
Table 5: Mandatory and Optional Element Scope for Compliance with VBBL ........................................................ B-5
Table 6: Average lifespans for Elements and Products ....................................................................................................... C-1

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Background and Context
Vancouver’s Climate Emergency Action Plan, approved by City Council in November 2020, sets a goal of
reducing embodied carbon in construction by 40% by 2030. In May 2022, City Council approved changes
to the Vancouver Building By-law1 (VBBL) to require designers to calculate, limit, and later reduce,
embodied carbon in new Part 3 buildings.
These guidelines are referenced by the by-law to provide technical guidance on modelling embodied
carbon emissions and demonstrating compliance with the requirements in the VBBL. The guidelines may
also be used for requirements in policies or programs to report or reduce embodied carbon in
construction, such as rezoning policies or owner’s project requirements.
The sections in these guidelines are as follows.
1. General:
This section and the preceding sub-sections provide general information about these guidelines,
including references.

2. Compliance:
This section describes the process for determining compliance with an embodied carbon
requirement. It includes two ways to comply: an absolute path and a baseline path.

3. Specifying the Object of Assessment:

This section defines the object of assessment and system boundary, which set the physical and
temporal scope of the calculation of embodied carbon. The system boundary is defined by
specifying the inclusion and exclusion of life cycle stages, building elements, and lifespan of the
building and building elements. Appendix B.2 provide additional information on specifying the
object of assessment.

4. Quantifying Embodied Carbon:

This section provides guidance using a whole-building life cycle assessment (wbLCA) methodology
to estimate embodied carbon emissions. The content of this section applies to both proposed design
and baseline embodied carbon assessment. This section covers guidance on establishing a bill of
materials, quantifying embodied carbon, and treatment of special topics, including design for
disassembly, biogenic carbon, and naturally occurring concrete carbonation.

5. Determining the Baseline:

This section provides guidance on creating a functionally equivalent baseline for compliance through
the baseline path, which is one of the two compliance paths described in Section 2.

1
[Link]

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6. Documentation:
This section describes the documents that must be submitted to the City of Vancouver at the time
of rezoning and Building Permit applications.

For further guidance on calculating embodied carbon and whole-building life cycle assessment, refer to
the National Research Council of Canada’s National Guidelines for Whole-building Life Cycle Assessment
(Referred to as “NRC Guidelines” in this document. See Appendix A.2 (b) (i)).

Intent
This document provides technical guidance on modelling embodied carbon and demonstrating
compliance with the City of Vancouver’s requirements to report, limit, or reduce embodied carbon.
The intent of this document is to provide guidance on:

 Embodied carbon modelling used for reporting as part of compliance;

 Identifying embodied carbon limits used for compliance;

 Creating a functionally-equivalent baseline; and,

 Submission requirements used for compliance.

The intended audiences for this document are individuals or companies modelling the embodied carbon
of a building to report and demonstrate compliance with embodied carbon requirements (the “user”). This
document is not intended to provide guidance to the building industry on how to reduce embodied
carbon emissions. Various industry and research organizations have provided resources on reducing
embodied carbon, including those listed in Appendix A.2 (g).

Application
These guidelines are developed to be used for modelling embodied carbon emissions and demonstrating
compliance with the embodied carbon requirements specified in Section 10.4 of the VBBL.
The guidelines may also be used for assessing and reporting the embodied carbon of Part 9 buildings,
however, the VBBL does not currently have any embodied carbon requirements for Part 9 buildings.

Note:
The embodied carbon requirements of the VBBL do not apply to alterations to existing buildings,
except where the alteration is a major new addition. Where additions are so significant that they are
generally treated as the construction of an entirely new building, such as the addition of a new tower
onto an existing building, the requirements may be applicable.
While the embodied carbon requirements of the VBBL apply to all new Part 3 buildings, there are
some unique cases where they were not intended to apply, and compliance need not be
demonstrated, such as where the only Part 3 building is a parkade below exclusively Part 9 buildings
(i.e. stacked townhomes above a parkade).
Where uncertainty exists, applicants should consult with building officials to confirm the applicability
of embodied carbon requirements.

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Definitions and Acronyms

Definitions
Any terms not defined below shall be as defined by the VBBL or the NRC Guidelines (See Appendix A.2
(b) (i)). Some definitions are identical to those in the VBBL or NRC Guidelines and are copied here for
clarity and convenience.

Biogenic Carbon is carbon stored in biomaterials through natural processes, but not fossilized or derived
from fossil resources.

Bill of Materials is a list of individual building materials and products and their quantities that make up a
building.

Concrete Carbonation is a naturally occurring reaction in concrete products when atmospheric CO 2 (in the
presence of water) reacts with the cement. Carbon is sequestered in the process and the strength of
concrete increases. However, it also creates an acidic environment, which can corrode steel reinforcing
bars.

Certified Professional, as defined in the Certification of Professionals By-law2, is the professional who
facilitates the issuance of building permits for new or existing buildings by taking on the full review and
inspection role on behalf of the City. Under the Certified Professional permit process, permit issuance can
be staged, allowing construction to start earlier than otherwise. Certified Professionals do not replace
registered professionals normally involved in a construction project but rather provide an additional level
of Building By-law review traditionally carried out by City staff.

Embodied Carbon, Embodied Carbon Impacts, Whole-building Embodied Carbon, and Whole-building
Embodied Carbon Impacts refer to the greenhouse gas emissions associated with materials and
construction processes throughout the life cycle of a building, except emissions from building energy use.
This can include emissions from material extraction, manufacture, transportation, construction,
replacement, refurbishment, demolition, removal, and other processes. For the purposes of these
guidelines, embodied carbon and these related terms are the total global warming potential (GWP) impact
calculated in compliance with these guidelines. Embodied carbon is measured in kilograms of carbon
dioxide equivalent (kgCO2e).

Embodied Carbon Baseline, Functionally-equivalent Baseline, and Baseline for the purposes of these
guidelines are derived from a single theoretical “typical” design (i.e., an archetype), based on standardized
assumptions and the proposed design being assessed for compliance, all as specified and in compliance
with these guidelines. Calculating the embodied carbon of the baseline is one way to create an embodied
carbon benchmark, for the purpose of demonstrating relative embodied carbon performance.

For the purposes of demonstrating compliance with the embodied carbon requirements of the Vancouver
Building By-law (VBBL), any of the pathways for calculating the embodied carbon benchmark included in
Section 2 shall be consider equivalent to a functionally-equivalent baseline.

2
[Link]

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Embodied Carbon Benchmark refer to a reference point against which comparisons can be made, for the
purposes of demonstrating relative embodied carbon performance (i.e., a percent improvement). This
benchmark can be a baseline or absolute carbon intensity (kgCO2e/m2).

Embodied Carbon Limit for the purposes of these guidelines is the embodied carbon impacts that shall
not be exceeded by the proposed design to comply with an embodied carbon requirement, such as those
set in the VBBL. It is the highest embodied carbon impacts, and the minimum performance level, allowed.

Embodied Carbon Requirement refers a requirement to consider embodied carbon during building design
or construction and may include a requirement to achieve relative embodied carbon performance (i.e., a
percent improvement) over a benchmark.

Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a third party–verified document written in conformance with
regional or international standards that reports the environmental impacts of a product, including its
global warming potential (GWP), based on life cycle assessment (LCA) models.

Global Warming Potential (GWP) for the purposes of these guidelines is an environmental indicator used
to describe the climate-related environmental impacts of a product or building. It is a result and output of
life cycle assessment (LCA), and expressed in terms of tonnes or kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent
(tCO2e or kgCO2e). In this context it is often has the same meaning as embodied carbon.

Note: Global Warming Potential is also the term used for factors that allow comparisons of the global
warming impacts of different gases. They are among many factors used in life cycle impact assessment,
and used in creating emissions inventories of organizations and nations. In this context, the larger the
GWP, the more that a given gas warms the Earth compared to CO 2 over a given time period.

Gross Floor Area (GFA) for the purposes of these guidelines is as defined in Appendix A of the NRC
Guidelines (see Appendix A.2 (b) (i)), except that calculation of gross floor area shall exclude any floor
area of a parkade (refer to definition of parkade). GFA measures fully-enclosed spaces to the outside face
of enclosing walls, without deductions in area for interior walls, columns, and floor openings such as
stairwells, elevators, ducts, or other openings.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is the process of evaluating a system, component, product, assembly, or
building, from the moment of extraction of raw materials to transportation, processing, manufacturing,
use, recyclability, and disposal. Through this methodology, the cumulative and ultimate environmental
benefits and impacts are assessed. This is often referred to as a cradle-to-grave assessment, if product,
use, and end-of-life stages are included. If benefits and load beyond the building life are added, the
assessment is referred to as cradle-to-cradle assessment (See Appendix B.1 for more information on the
life cycle stages).

Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) is a list of input and output flows for a particular process. The flows are resource
use, such as materials, energy, and water, as well as emissions to air, land, and water. It is the data
collection step of life cycle assessment.

Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) is a set of characterization factors that are applied to an LCI to arrive
at environmental indicator results. These results may estimate “end-point” impacts, such as damage to

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human health, or “mid-point” impacts, such as global warming potential. It is the “what does it mean” step
of life cycle assessment, where the inventory is analyzed for environmental impact.

Object of Assessment is the building and building elements included in the embodied carbon assessment,
as defined in accordance with Section 3 of these guidelines.

OmniClass is a comprehensive standardized classification system used in the construction industry,

developed by the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) in the United States. It is used to
categorize and organize information related to building projects, including components, materials,
systems, and processes throughout the whole project life cycle.

Parkade for the purposes of these guidelines is a building or part thereof for the storage or parking of
motor vehicles and containing no provision for the repair or servicing of such vehicles.

Note: This is the same as the definition of “Storage Garage” in the Vancouver Building By-law.

Product Environmental Profile (PEP) is an EPD that covers electrical, electronic, and HVAC products (See
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) definition).

Proposed Design is the building design that is assessed for compliance with an embodied carbon
requirement, at the time of that assessment. For example, for a building being assessed for compliance
with embodied carbon requirements in the VBBL, it is the proposed design reflected in the Building Permit
application documents. For preliminary stage assessments such as during rezoning, the proposed design
being assessed and submitted may be one of many possible designs and represent one of many pathways
to achieving compliance with an embodied carbon requirement. Where details are not known at the time
of assessment, refer to guidance in Section 4 of this document and in Table 1 and Table 2.

System Boundary is the physical, geographical, and temporal scope of the assessment, including life cycle
stages, building elements, processes, flows, and activities included or excluded from the life cycle
assessment.

UniFormat is a widely used elemental classification system produced by the Construction Specifications
Institute (CSI) and Construction Specifications Canada (CSC).

User is the individual or company that uses these guidelines to model the embodied carbon of a building
for reporting and demonstrate compliance with embodied carbon requirements.

Whole-building Life Cycle Assessment (wbLCA) is the process of conducting an LCA for a building as
opposed to the building products and elements. See the definition for life cycle assessment (LCA).

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Acronyms
BIM Building Information Model
CLF Carbon Leadership Forum
CP Certified Professional
EPD Environmental Product Declaration
GFA Gross Floor Area
GWP Global Warming Potential
HVAC Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning
IGU Insulated Glass Unit
LCA Life Cycle Assessment
LCI Life Cycle Inventory
LCIA Life Cycle Impact Assessment
MEP Mechanical Electrical Plumbing
MURB Multi-unit Residential Building
NRC National Research Council of Canada
PEP Product Environmental Profile
VBBL Vancouver Building By-law
wbLCA Whole-building Life Cycle Assessment
XPS Extruded Polystyrene (insulation)

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Embodied Carbon Guidelines

1 General

1.1 References
The normative standards and guidelines referenced in this document are listed in Appendix A.1.
The embodied carbon assessment shall comply with the most recent version of these references.
Where there are differences between this document and the referenced standards and guidelines,
the provisions of this document shall apply.
The most commonly used software tools for building embodied carbon assessment – listed in
Appendix A.2 (a) – claim that their tool and the databases within them comply with the normative
references.
The informative references are listed in Appendix A.2. These references are provided as additional
resources but compliance with them is not required.

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2 Compliance
Compliance with an embodied carbon requirement shall be determined by following the steps in this
section. To determine compliance:

1) Calculate the embodied carbon of the proposed design;

2) Calculate the embodied carbon benchmark using one of two pathways;
3) Calculate the embodied carbon limit by multiplying the benchmark by a reduction factor; and,
4) Compare the embodied carbon limit with the embodied carbon of the proposed design.

Compliance shall then be documented in accordance with Section 6.

Note:
The Embodied Carbon Design Report, which is one of the documentation requirements (see Section
6.1), automatically calculates the embodied carbon benchmark and limit and determines compliance,
using the user inputs and the formulas in the following sub-sections.

2.1 Calculate the Embodied Carbon of the Proposed Design

Define the object of assessment according to Sections 3 and calculate the embodied carbon of the
proposed design following Section 4.

2.2 Calculate the Embodied Carbon Benchmark

Determine the embodied carbon benchmark using one of the two following pathways:
Absolute Path
Calculate the embodied carbon benchmark from an absolute embodied carbon intensity
using the following formula:

𝐸𝐶𝐵𝑀 = 𝐸𝐶𝐼 × 𝐺𝐹𝐴𝑃

Where:
𝐸𝐶𝐵𝑀 = 𝐸𝑚𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝐶𝑎𝑟𝑏𝑜𝑛 𝐵𝑒𝑛𝑐ℎ𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑘 (in kgCO2e)
𝐺𝐹𝐴𝑃 = 𝐺𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑠 𝐹𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑟 𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝐵𝑢𝑖𝑙𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 (in m2)
(Excluding parkade. See Definitions and Acronyms for guidance on calculating 𝐺𝐹𝐴.)
𝐸𝐶𝐼 = 𝐴𝑏𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑒 𝐸𝑚𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝐶𝑎𝑟𝑏𝑜𝑛 𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 (in kgCO2e/m2)

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 Note:
For compliance with the Vancouver Building By-law, the following value may be used:
ECI = 400 kgCO2e/m2

The absolute embodied carbon intensity value (400 kgCO2e/m2) is for the mandatory
scope of the object of assessment, as specified in Section 2. This value is based on data
collected from embodied carbon submissions for the City of Vancouver rezoning
requirements from 2017 to 2023. As more data is collected, the value may be refined to
reflect new data, different building types, or other important variables in wbLCA.

Example:
If the absolute embodied carbon intensity is 400 kgCO2e/m2, and the gross floor area of
the proposed design is 10,000 m2 (reminder: parkade is excluded from this area), the
embodied carbon benchmark can be calculated as follows:

𝐸𝐶𝐵𝑀 = 400 × 10,000

𝐸𝐶𝐵𝑀 = 4,000,000 kgCO2e

Baseline Path
Create a functionally-equivalent baseline following Section 5. The baseline shall follow the
same guidance as the proposed design for specifying the object of assessment (Section 3)
and calculating the embodied carbon (Section 4).

𝐸𝐶𝐵𝑀 = 𝐸𝐶𝐵𝐿

Where:
𝐸𝐶𝐵𝑀 = 𝐸𝑚𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝐶𝑎𝑟𝑏𝑜𝑛 𝐵𝑒𝑛𝑐ℎ𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑘 (in kgCO2e)
𝐸𝐶𝐵𝐿 = 𝐸𝑚𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝐶𝑎𝑟𝑏𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐵𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒 (in kgCO2e)

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 Note:
The embodied carbon benchmark calculated from the absolute path is independent of
the parkade area, and two buildings with the same GFA will have the same benchmark
regardless of the size of the parkade.
Since all the structure is included in the object of assessment, as specified in Section 3.3,
a building with less parkade structure will find it easier to meet the benchmark and the
resulting limit compared to a building with more parkade structure. See Figure 1 for an
example of the areas included in object of assessment and areas included in calculating
GFA.

Gross Floor Area

Object of Assessment

Figure 1: Areas Included in Gross Floor Area and Object of Assessment

By comparison, the baseline path provides more flexibility with respect to parking than
the absolute path. This is consistent with the intent of the baseline path – while more
complicated, it removes many variables from compliance considerations, such as parking,
height, soil conditions, shape, overall material efficiency, and more.

2.3 Calculate the Embodied Carbon Limit

Calculate the embodied carbon limit by multiplying the embodied carbon benchmark by a
reduction factor.
𝐸𝐶𝐿 = 𝐸𝐶𝐵𝑀 × 𝑓
Where:
𝑓 = 𝑟𝑒𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑛𝑐ℎ𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑘, 𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑏𝑜𝑛 𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠

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 Note:
The VBBL requirements effective in 2023 require that embodied carbon impacts not be more
than double a functionally-equivalent baseline (i.e. the benchmark, as per the definition of
functionally-equivalent baseline), so in this case 𝑓 = 2.0.

For the proposed requirements for new Part 3 buildings in the 2025 update of the VBBL*,
approved in principle by City Council in May 2022, a 10% reduction requirement means 𝑓 = 0.9,
and for a 20% reduction requirement 𝑓 = 0.8.

* The proposed 2025 VBBL updates, including requirements for responsible materials, are available on the
City’s website3.

2.4 Determine Compliance

To comply with an embodied carbon requirement, the embodied carbon of the proposed design
shall not exceed the embodied carbon limit.
𝐸𝐶𝑃 ≤ 𝐸𝐶𝐿

Wherein:
𝐸𝐶𝑃 = 𝐸𝑚𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝐶𝑎𝑟𝑏𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛 (in kgCO2e)

𝐸𝐶𝐿 = 𝐸𝑚𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝐶𝑎𝑟𝑏𝑜𝑛 𝐿𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡 (in kgCO2e)

Multiple Buildings
Multiple buildings that are part of the same permit application may be combined in one
calculation of embodied carbon, if they share a common parkade, or a common podium,
because they use the same below-grade concrete structural design.
The combined buildings shall either all be up to 6 storeys or all be more than 6 storeys.
Otherwise the embodied carbon of the connected buildings shall be reported separately. In
this case, the user shall use their professional judgement to allocate the shared spaces
between the connected buildings, for instance based on their relative GFA or use of the
common spaces, such as shared underground parkade.
If the buildings have no common spaces, the embodied carbon calculation and reporting
shall be done separately for each building.
For demonstrating compliance at the time of Building Permit, large developments with
multiple parcels must provide at least one calculation for each parcel of the development,
and results may be averaged, per gross floor area, across a development up to the level of
each parcel.
Rezoning applications with two or more buildings are not required to calculate embodied
carbon emissions per building. They may calculate embodied carbon per building type and
estimate the total embodied carbon by multiplying the estimated embodied carbon intensity

3
The proposed 2025 VBBL updates are available here: [Link]

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 by the total gross floor area of each archetype. Refer to Sections 4.2 and 4.3 for guidance on
assumption for estimating material quantities and embodied carbon when project-specific
data may not be available, including at the rezoning stage.

2.5 Document Compliance

See Section 6 for compliance documentation and submittal requirements.

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3 Specification of the Object of Assessment

3.1 General
This section specifies the object of assessment and system boundary. These set the scope of the
calculation of embodied carbon for compliance with embodied carbon requirements.

3.2 Life Cycle Stages

Figure 2 in Appendix B.1 (a) shows different life cycle stages and modules in a wbLCA. A
description of each module is provided in Appendix B.1 (b).

Required Scope:
Embodied carbon shall be calculated using a cradle-to-grave life cycle boundary and include
modules A1-A5, B1-B5, and C1-C4, wherever data is available.
For further options for end-of-life scenarios, refer to Section 4.3 (c) (vi) for salvaging and
reusing and Section 4.3 (c) (vii) for design for disassembly practices.

Optional Scope:
Module D shall not be included in the embodied carbon calculations used for compliance.
However, embodied carbon from module D may be calculated and reported separately.

3.3 Building Elements

A list of the building elements that must be included in the embodied carbon reporting and
compliance are provided in Section 3.3 (a). Optional elements specified in Section 3.3 (b) may be
included in the embodied carbon reporting scope.
Users may include some or all of the optional elements in the scope of assessment when
demonstrating compliance in the baseline path (Section 2.2 (b)), although their inclusion is not
mandatory. If any optional scopes are included for demonstrating compliance, the scope of the
proposed design and the baseline must be the same.
If any optional scopes are included for the compliance purposes, the embodied carbon emissions
and percentage reduction achieved shall be reported both with and without the optional scopes in
the spaces provided in the Embodied Carbon Design Report (Design Report) (See Section 6.1).
Similar to the NRC Guidelines (see Appendix A.2 (b) (i)), the building elements in this section are
organized by OmniClass element classification. The break down in the following sections are in
Level 1 and 2. A detailed list of mandatory and optional elements, with Level 3 and 4 OmniClass
breakdown is provided in Table 5 in Appendix B.2.
The user shall use the building element lists provided here and in Table 5, to identify the required
and optional elements and sub-elements. However, they can use other classification systems to
create their bill of materials, such as UniFormat that is commonly used in the industry.

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 The inclusion and exclusion of optional elements may be decided at Level 4 OmniClass. This means
that if a Level 4 optional sub-element is included in reporting and/or compliance, all materials and
products for that sub-element shall be included. See Section 4.2 (b) for more information on
completeness requirement to comply with VBBL requirements.

Required Scope
Substructure
 Foundations

 Subgrade Enclosures (Below-grade exterior walls)

 Slabs-on-Grade
Shell
 Superstructure (include above and below-grade floors, above and below-grade
columns and beams, above and below-grade interior shear walls, above and below-
grade stairs4, balconies, roof structure, and canopies).
 Exterior Vertical Enclosures (include above-grade structural and non-structural
exterior walls, exterior windows and doors).

 Exterior Horizontal Enclosures (include roofing, roof windows, and skylights)

Optional Scope
Interiors
 Interior Construction (include above and below-grade interior non-structural walls,
partitions, windows, doors, raised floors, and suspended ceilings)

 Interior Finishes (include above and below-grade wall finishes, flooring, stair finishes,
and ceiling finishes)
Services
 Conveying

 Plumbing

 Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC)

 Fire Protection

 Electrical

 Communications

 Electronic Safety and Security

 Integrated Automation

4
The structural elements on the below-grade interior are included in the Shell, Superstructure, classification, because the Substructure
in the OmniClass only covers foundations, exterior walls, and slab-on-grade.

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 Equipment and Furnishings
Special Construction & Demolition
 Including building demolition and selective demolition
Sitework
 Including excavation, parking lots, and landscaping

Note:
These guidelines use the OmniClass classification to specify which elements are included
in the object of assessment, in alignment with the NRC Guidelines (See Appendix A.2 (b)
(i)).
The building element lists provided in this section and in Table 5, Appendix B.2 are
provided to help users identify required and optional elements and sub-elements. While
this is used for clarity on “what’s in”, it does not mean the inputs or bill of materials must
be organized according to OmniClass. Oher classification systems may be used for
inputs and the bill of materials, such as UniFormat that is commonly used by industry
and quantity surveyors.

Note:
As noted above and elsewhere, the parkade is included in the object of assessment. This
includes the elements of foundations and below-grade exterior walls, floors, columns and
beams, shear walls, and stairs.

Note:
The required scope specified in this section and Table 5 in Appendix B.2, are subject to
availability of data from the project and software tool. The user may specify any required
scopes that are excluded from reporting with a brief explanation in the Design Report
(See Section 6.1).

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4 Quantifying Embodied Carbon

4.1 General
All calculations of embodied carbon shall comply with this section, regardless of whether it is for
the proposed or baseline design, unless otherwise allowed by these guidelines.

Calculation Methodology
Embodied carbon shall be calculated using a wbLCA methodology in compliance with these
guidelines.

4.2 Establishing a Bill of Materials

A bill of material is a list of individual building materials and product and their quantities that make
up the physical building. The bill of materials is used to assess the embodied carbon of a building.

Sources
The NRC Guidelines (see Appendix A.2 (b) (i)) list three mechanisms for obtaining materials
and product quantities, referred to as bill of materials:

 A building information model (BIM)

 A cost estimate
 Takeoffs from drawings
If the bills of materials created from a BIM or cost estimate is missing any of the required
elements (e.g., foundations) or quantities of materials or products within a required element
(e.g., concrete reinforcement), those quantities shall be added and accounted for in the
embodied carbon assessment (See Section 3.3 for the list of required elements).
The quantity of missing elements, materials, and products can be manually calculated
through takeoffs or estimated using other sources. The project team may use their
professional judgement to identify non-major elements, materials, and products that are
challenging to be quantified through quantity takeoff. For these elements, the quantities of
equivalent elements in default assemblies in the wbLCA or embodied carbon assessment
software tools can be used, such as “Constructions” in One Click LCA5 and the assembly
approach in Athena Impact Estimator 6. If used at Building Permit stage, these tools must be
able to reflect the building geometry and design.

5
See Appendix A.2 (a) (v).
“Constructions” in the One Click LCA tool are predefined construction assemblies and components with multiple options per
assembly.
6
See Appendix A.2 (a) (i).

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 Completeness
Quantification of materials and flows shall correspond to the level of development, timing of
the assessment, and availability of information for the proposed design, as well as the
relative importance to the embodied carbon results and the purpose of the study (e.g.,
informing proposed design, meeting requirements, or performance declaration).
The bill of materials shall include all the major materials and products used in the required
elements, specified in Table 5, Appendix B.2. The users may use their professional judgment
to identify the cut-off points for minor material and products, especially those that are
challenging to quantify, such as fasteners, nails, and clips.
As a general guidance, the total mass of the excluded materials shall not be greater than 1%
of the total mass of materials used in the required elements. However, there is no need to
quantify the masses to show compliance.

Note:
Materials and components in the substructure and shell elements that perform as
thermal, moisture, acoustic, and fire protection functions are required to be included. For
example, fire rated gypsum boards or concrete topping on mass-timber floors are to be
included, as they are considered part of the required scope.

Rezoning Application and Schematic Design Stage

For calculations at the preliminary or schematic design stage, such as those made as part
of a rezoning application, there may be limited information available for the proposed
design. The purpose of the study at this stage is not to demonstrate compliance, but to
inform building design to reduce embodied carbon and prepare for future compliance.
For this purpose, very basic quantity estimates – such as an order of magnitude estimate,
or a ‘Class D – Indicative Estimate’ according to the KPMB Lab WBLCA Classification
System7 – for the materials with the most relative importance to embodied carbon may
be sufficient to inform design and begin the process of reducing the embodied carbon of
the building design.
Building Permit Application and Construction Documents Stage
As the project progresses and more information about the options for building elements
become available, the project team shall create a more accurate embodied carbon model
to inform the design. Quantification of materials and flows in embodied carbon
calculations used to demonstrate compliance with an embodied carbon requirement,
such as a Building Permit application, shall generally conform to the level of detail of a
‘Class B – Design Estimate’ according to the according to the KPMB Lab WBLCA
Classification System8.

7
See Appendix A.2 (b) (ii).
8
Level of Detail (LOD) of 300-350 in BIM.

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 Material and product Types
If certain materials and product types are not specified in project documents, the project
team shall use their professional judgement to specify them based on local common
practices specific to their building archetype.
Table 1 provide general guidance for common material and product types for local practices
in Vancouver. While the project teams can use this table as a guide, they should primarily
rely on their professional judgment to identify whether typical materials and assemblies for
their building archetype and design requirements vary from the information in this table.

Table 1: Default Common-practice Assemblies and Materials for the Key Building Elements

Building Elements (OmniClass)

Default Material and Product Assumption
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3
Substructure Foundations -
Subgrade Walls for Subgrade
 Steel-reinforced Concrete*
Enclosures Enclosures
 Subgrade Insulation: Extruded Polystyrene (XPS)

Slab-on-Grade -
Shell Superstructure Floor Construction:  Steel-reinforced Concrete*
Vertical (i.e. columns)

 Floor Construction:  Typical Span: Steel-reinforced Concrete*

Horizontal (i.e.  Long Span: Steel Trusses
beams and floor
plates)
 Roof Construction

Exterior Exterior Walls**  Type:

Vertical o Office and Commercial Storefront: Aluminum
Enclosure Curtain Wall
o Residential (7+ storeys): Aluminum Window
Wall
o Other: Steel Framed Wall
 Framing: 6” deep steel framing @ 16” on-centre
 Sheathing: Gypsum Board***
 Thermal Insulation (Cavity): Mineral Wool Batt
Insulation
 Thermal Insulation (Continuous): Heavy Density
Mineral Board
 Cladding: Galvanized Steel

Exterior Windows  Window Frame: Aluminum

 Insulated Glass Unit (IGU): As required to meet the
thermal performance
 Window-to-wall ratio: As required to meet the
thermal performance

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 Building Elements (OmniClass)
Default Material and Product Assumption
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3
Exterior Roofing  Insulation:
Horizontal o Conventional Roof: Polyiso
Enclosures o Inverted Roof: Extruded Polystyrene (XPS)
 Interior Sheathing: Gypsum Board***
 Membrane: 2-ply Styrene Butadiene Styrene (SBS)

Interiors Interior Interior Partitions  Framing: 6” deep steel framing @ 16” on-centre
(Optional) Construction  Sheathing: Gypsum Board*** on Both Sides
(Optional)  Acoustic Insulation (where required): Mineral Wool
Batt Insulation

Interior Wall Finishes  Paint

Finishes
(Optional) Floor Finishes  Office Units: Carpet
 Residential and Hotel Suites: Vinyl
 Retail: Ceramic Tiles
 Industrial: Exposed Concrete
 Healthcare: Ceramic Tiles
 All Building Types:
o Hallways (except for retail): Carpet
o Below-grade and Service Rooms: Exposed
Concrete
o Bathrooms and Showers: Ceramic Tiles

Ceiling Finishes  Drop Ceiling: Acoustic Tile

 Other: Gypsum Board*** with Skim Coat and Paint

* If no detailed steel reinforcement (rebar) quantities are available, the user may use their professional judgement to
estimate the quantity of rebars. They may also use the mid-range in the One Click LCA’s recommended average
concrete reinforcement quantities9. This reference provides guideline on typical ranges in rebar for different building
elements in kg rebar/m3 concrete. This is suitable in earlier design phases; however, if actual rebar quantities are
available in later design stages, it is best to use those quantities instead.

** For mixed-use buildings with multiple enclosure types, the enclosure assembly types in the embodied carbon model
shall follow the pattern of enclosure in proposed design (e.g., a mixed-use building that uses window wall enclosure
across the residential portions of the building and used curtain wall for the commercial portion). The pattern shall be
matched in the baseline modelling for the baseline path (Section 2.2 (b)).

*** Type X gypsum board shall be assumed for fire rated walls.

9
[Link]

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 4.3 Embodied Carbon Quantification
Software Tools
Rezoning Application and Schematic Design Stage
In addition to the wbLCA or embodied carbon assessment software tools specified in the
following sub-section, rezoning applications may use early design tools, such as the
Carbon Designer tool of One Click LCA10, the assembly approach in Athena Impact
Estimator, and Embodied Carbon Pathfinder11.

Note:
Early design tools with the ability to reflect geometry and industry-wide material
EPDs – such as Carbon Designer and the assembly approach in Athena Impact
Estimator, can provide a more accurate estimate.
Project teams are advised to consider the results from tools such as Embodied
Carbon Pathfinder as a high-level, order-of-magnitude estimate. These tools estimate
embodied carbon based on modelled scenarios for select building archetypes, and
are not specific to a project’s geometry or material quantities. Project teams are
encouraged to model the embodied carbon of their specific project early in the
design process to help inform design and material selection.

Building Permit Application and Construction Documents Stage

The software tools used for VBBL requirements shall comply with EN 15978:2011 or an
equivalent regional standard (See Appendix A.1 (a) (i)). A list of commonly used tools
that are accepted for compliance with VBBL are provided in Appendix A.2 (a).
These guidelines require a cradle-to-grave life cycle boundary, that means modules A, B,
and C shall be included in the assessment. However, software tools that are missing
modules beyond A1-A3, but are working towards adding them such as EC3 and tallyCAT,
may still be used for compliance. To do so, the methodology provided in Section 4.3 (c)
(viii) shall be used to estimate emissions beyond modules A1-A3.

Data Sources
Except as required or allowed in this section, scenarios, flow types, data quality of Life Cycle
Inventory (LCI) flows, sets of environmental data, data quality of environmental data, and
Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) method used to calculate embodied carbon shall be as
built into the software tool.

10
[Link]
11
[Link]

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 Impact Indicators
The LCIA method used in the software tool shall be TRACI v2.1 or newer (See Appendix
A.1 (b) (i)). The tools listed in Appendix A.2 (a) use TRACI for embodied carbon
assessment of buildings in North America.
Calculation of embodied carbon for demonstrating compliance with an embodied carbon
standard only require reporting of the Global Warming Potential (GWP) environmental
impact category. Other environmental impact category results are optional and may be
reported separately, if available in the software tool used.
Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)
The EPDs in the LCA databases of the software tools used for VBBL compliance shall
comply with the latest version of ISO 21930 (2017), which is the standard used in North
America (See Appendix A.1 (c) (i)).
If an ISO 21930-compliant EPD is not available for an imported product, it is acceptable
to use data from EPDs that comply with the equivalent EPD standard in it respective
region. For instance, European products that their EPDs are published prior to July 2022,
shall comply with EN 15804+A1 and those published since July 2022 shall comply with EN
15804+A212.
The EPDs used in the software tools in Appendix A.2 (a) are acceptable, as the tool
providers claim to comply with the above standards.
If EPDs outside the software tools are used for manual calculations, as allowed in Section
4.3 (c) (i), the latest version of the EPDs shall be used. EPDs that are expired may not be
used, unless no valid EPD is available for a specific product.

Assumptions, Data Modifications, and Manual Calculations

Where the software tool allows it and the user has access to higher quality project-specific
or regional data, the user may modify the data within the software tool to reflect the higher
quality data.
If there are data limitations in the software tool, the user may utilize manual calculations
outside of the software and replace relevant data from the tool.
Any changes to the default software tool data and assumptions, whether it is done inside or
outside the tool, shall be described and justified in the space provided the Design Report
(See Section 6.1). The manual calculation data shall be submitted (see Section 6.2 (b)) and
additional details may be provided in a supporting report (see Section 6.2 (c)).

12
See Appendix A.1 (c) (c).
EN 15804+A1 uses CML method instead of TRACI, which is the common LCIA method used in North America. EN 15804+A2 uses the
Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) method. TRACI, CML, and PEF use the same unit of measurement for GWP (kgCO2e).
However, they use different units for some other impact indicators. Therefore, European EPDs, that comply with EN 15804 is
accepted for European products, if only GWP, i.e. embodied carbon, is reported and if no ISO 21930-compliant EPD, which reports
using TRACI method is available for them.
- CML is the methodology required by the European EN 15978 and EN 15804 standards. See the following link for more information
on CML: [Link]
- PEF is developed by the European Commission to advance various product sustainability initiatives of the European Commission.
See the following link for more information on PEF: [Link]

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 The following sub-sections describes the possible assumptions, modifications, and
calculations and the life cycle module impacted by them.
Material type and EPDs (Modules Depend on the Scope of EPDs)
In software tools that allow selecting EPDs, such as One Click LCA13, EC314, and
tallyCAT15, product-specific EPDs shall be used for the proposed design, when available
and when a single product and manufacturer has been specified and no acceptable
alternate has been identified in the project documents. Where acceptable alternates with
available EPDs have been identified, the alternative with the highest product-specific
GWP shall be used. If maximum GWPs have been specified, a product-specific EPD that
is closest in GWP to the maximum GWP may be used.
When the specified products do not have product-specific EPDs, or if specific products
or GWP maximums have not been specified, industry-wide EPDs shall be used, when
available. If the baseline compliance path is used (Section 2.2 (b)), the baseline shall also
use industry-wide EPDs.
The 2023 CLF North American Material Baselines Report (Referred to as “CLF Baselines
Report” in this document. See Appendix A.1 (d) (i)) shall be referenced to identify the
relevant industry-wide EPDs. Where available, B.C. or Canadian industry-wide EPDs shall
be used.
For some material categories, industry-wide EPDs are not available in certain software
tools or no industry-wide EPD exist. In these cases, a product-specific EPD that is closest
in GWP to the “baseline” value outlined in the latest version of CLF Baselines Report may
be used.
Table 2 provides additional guidance for the default material type and EPD-choice
assumptions, including relevant organizations that publish industry-wide EPDs. These
may be used when project or product-specific material types and EPDs are not available.

13
See Appendix A.2 (a) (v).
14
See Appendix A.2 (a) (iv).
15
See Appendix A.2 (a) (iii).

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 Note:
Where software tools that do not allow selecting EPDs are used, such as Athena
Impact Estimator and tallyLCA, the default GWP values in the tool may be used.
Where software tools that do not allow selecting EPDs are used, the project team are
still able to demonstrate embodied carbon reduction through specifying low-carbon
intensity products. In this case, the user may manually calculate the reduction
achieved outside the software tool by replacing the default GWP with the one
specified in the EPD or the specifications.
If the baseline compliance path is used (Section 2.2 (b)), and the GWP of a product in
the proposed design varies from the baseline, and the GWP in the tool for that
particular product does not match the industry-wide EPD, the baseline shall also be
manually modified outside the software tool to replace the GWP of that product with
the industry-wide EPD.
If the EPD used only covers modules A1-A3, the user shall only replace modules A1-A3
and leave the data from modules B and C as is. If the tool does not allow separating
emissions by modules and products, the user may remove the impacts from all the
modules for the default material or products that are going to be replaced. They may
then replace the A1-A3 emissions with the data from the EPDs used and use the
relative estimates provided in Section 4.3 (c) (viii) to calculate modules A4-A5, B, and
C for the replaced product.

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Table 2: Default Materials and Product Assumptions and EPD Selection
Material/Product Default Material Type and EPD Assumptions
Concrete All concrete shall assume baseline mixes specified in the BC provincial industry-wide EPD16, with
matching air entrainment and at equivalent strength to the proposed design, unless lower
strengths are enabled by structural design efficiencies as described in “Design Structure for
Material Efficiency” section of Table 3.

If no information is available on the proposed design, consider assuming the following

compressive strengths can be used:
 Foundation, Footings, Slab-on-grade - 25 MPa
 Exterior Walls, Interior Walls - 35 MPa
 Suspended Floor and Roof Slabs and Beams - 35 MPa
 Stairs, Columns, Shear Walls - 40 MPa

If no information is available on air entrainment for concrete in the proposed design, air-
entrained concrete mixes can be assumed for building elements exposed to exterior conditions
(e.g., foundations, parkade slabs, exterior walls, slab-on-grade, etc.) and non-air entrained
concrete mixes can be assumed for elements not exposed (e.g., interior concrete elements).

Note:
Athena Impact Estimator and tallyLCA tools currently do not include BC provincial
industry-average concrete mixes EPDs in their database.

Projects that use Athena tool can select the “Benchmark” mixes defined within older
CRMCA 2017 Canadian Industry-Average EPD that is currently available in the tool.

Projects using tallyLCA may use the national average values from the US-specific NRMCA
2019 data that is currently available in the tool.

If in future BC-average EPDs become available, BC values shall be used.

If the project teams wish to claim embodied carbon reduction for using low-carbon
intensity concrete, using these tools, they shall follow the guidance provided in this Note
box.

Insulation XPS:
The newer generation of XPS are compliant with Canadian HFC regulation and shall be
referenced (e.g., Owens Corning FOAMULAR NGX, SOPREMA SOPRA- XPS, KingSpan
GreenGuard LG XPS, or DuPont's ST-100 XPS). The conventional XPS insulation products that
use HFC blowing agents shall not be referenced, as those are banned in Canada due to new
regulations that came into effect on Jan. 1, 2021.

The CLF Baselines Report averages XPS from both HFC and HFO blowing agent products to
derive an average GWP value (See Appendix A.1 (d) (i)). Since XPS insulations that use HFC
blowing agents are banned in Canada, the baseline value for XPS in CLF Baselines Report shall
not be used.

16
[Link]

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 Material/Product Default Material Type and EPD Assumptions
Closed Cell Spray Foam:
If the Closed Cell Spray Foam (ccSPF) insulation is proposed, it shall reference the newer
generation of low-GWP blowing agents compliant with Canadian HFC regulation. Reference the
SPFA Industry-wide EPD (2018) for Spray Foam using HFO blowing agents. The conventional
ccSPF insulation products that use HFC blowing agents shall not be referenced, as those are
banned in Canada due to new regulations that came into effect on Jan. 1, 2021.

The CLF Baseline Report averages ccSPF from both HFC and HFO blowing agent products to
derive an average GWP value. Do not use this baseline value.

Windows and If the software tool does not have data specific to the window frame of the proposed design, a
Glazing different window frame can be a proxy value.

If the software tool does not have data specific to the triple-pane windows:
 If the software tool allows it, window frame and glazing layers can be modelled separately.
 If the tool only allows using EPDs that combine window frame and glazing, the emissions
can be approximated by referencing a double pane window EPD with appropriate window
frame and adding an additional pane of flat glass or processed glass with the same area as
the proposed window.

Steel The fabricated rebar EPD published by Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (CRSI) shall be
Reinforcement referenced.
(Rebar)
The user do not need to model recycled content in the rebar, as the CRSI EPD specifies the
recycled-content steel, which is 98%.

Note:
Post-tensioned slabs reduce rebar quantities in structural concrete. However, post Tension
(PT) Tendons typically use much lower recycled content steel and have higher GWP
impacts compared to conventional rebar. If no EPD is available for PT tendons, embodied
carbon calculations shall approximate the impacts by doubling the PT tendon quantity and
map to conventional rebar EPD (CRSI industry-wide EPD).

Steel For non-rebar steel including Plate Steel, Hollow Structural Section (HSS), Hot-Rolled Sections,
Steel Framing, and Open Web Steel Joist, baselines shall reference the relevant industry-wide
EPD.

Where available in the software tool refer to:

 Fabricated steel data instead of unfabricated steel
 Canadian industry-wide EPDs over US industry-wide EPDs.

Examples of organizations that have published industry-wide EPDs are Canadian Institute of
Steel Construction (CISC), American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), American
Galvanizers Association (AGA), Steel Framing Industry Association (SFIA), Metal Building
Manufacturers Association (MBMA), Steel Joist Institute (SJI), Steel Tube Institute (STI), Steel
Deck Institute (SDI), and Metal Construction Association (MCA).

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 Material/Product Default Material Type and EPD Assumptions
Aluminum Aluminum products shall reference the relevant industry-wide EPD.

Where available, reference Canadian industry-wide EPDs (e.g., AluQuebec) over US industry-
wide EPDs. Examples of industry-wide EPDs are:
 Extruded Aluminum: Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC)
 Curtain Wall: AluQuebec
 Aluminum Windows: AluQuebec
 Aluminum Sheet/Cladding: AluQuebec, Aluminum Association, Ceilings & Interior Systems
Construction Association (CISCA), Metal Construction Association (MCA)
Wood Refer to Section 4.4 (a) on biogenic carbon calculation.

Wood products shall reference relevant industry-wide EPDs from the Canadian Wood Council
(CWC) or other relevant organizations.

Services (Optional)

Product-specific EPDs, Product Environmental Profiles17 (PEPs), or industry-wide data shall be

used.

If none of the above data sources are available, the project team can calculate the embodied
carbon of building services using guidance from TM65 Embodied Carbon in Building Services: A
Calculation Methodology and TM65LA Embodied carbon in building services: Using TM65
outside the UK (See Appendix A.2 (d)).

Refrigerant emissions shall not be included in the embodied carbon assessment or compliance18.

Note:
EC3 and tallyCAT both use EC3 database, which by default displays uncertainty-adjusted GWP
(uaGWP) values that apply an uncertainty factor on top of the Reported GWP values in EPDs. Users
may use the uaGWP results for analysis. However if in the future there is an option to export the project
results in "Reported GWP", those values shall be used, instead of the uaGWP values in submissions.

Transportation to Construction Site (Module A4)

Where the tool allows it, scenarios and data related to the transportation to construction
site can be adjusted to reflect project-specific or typical local distances and
transportation modes.
Construction Site Emissions (Module A5)
The construction site emissions shall be per the default scenarios in the software tool.

17
[Link]
18
Reporting and reducing refrigerant GHGs is considered under the 2025 VBBL operational carbon requirements.
[Link]

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 If the tool allows it, the user can replace the default values with more representative
regional data, e.g., from comparable recent projects. Data required from construction
sites include construction waste generation and management as well as the electricity
and natural gas consumption – for instance for using the equipment and tools, heating,
and cooling. This data can be used to estimate the GHG emissions associated with the
construction site activities inside the software tool or manually.
If the proposed design specifies requirements resulting in embodied carbon reduction on
construction processes, the proposed design requirements may replace the default
values in the tool, if the tool allows it. For instance, the proposed design can specify a
maximum construction waste generation bellow the default scenarios in the software
tool or specify using prefabricated assemblies that can cut down construction waste
generation compared to on-site construction.
Lifespan of Buildings, Elements, and Products (Module B)
Embodied carbon calculations shall assume 60 years for the reference study period and
the required service life of the building, regardless of the actual required service life of
the building.
The calculations may assume shorter lifespans for products and elements, based on
default assumptions in the software tools. Where the tools allow modifying the lifespans,
they may be replaced with the lifespan based on the EPDs, warranty documents
provided by the product suppliers, or values provided in Table 6 in Appendix C.1.
Waste Management at the End-of-Life (Module C)
Where the tool allows it, default scenarios for waste management at the end of building
life can be updated to better reflect the project-specific or regional waste management
practices.
For instance, the waste diversion scenarios may be modified to reflect higher reusability
or recyclability rates at the end of the project life compared to the default values in the
tools, resulting from materials choices or building design.
Salvaging and Reusing (Modules A-C)
If in the proposed design, a portion or components of the existing building on site are
reused or if a salvaged component from another site is reused, the quantity of reused
materials and components shall be excluded from all the life cycle stages (A-C) in the
embodied carbon assessment. When calculating the floor area of the building for
calculating the embodied carbon intensity, the reused portion should be included in the
floor area, unless it the area is underground parkade area.
The embodied carbon from the demolition of the portion of the existing building that is
removed from the site shall not be included in the embodied carbon calculation.
Design for Disassembly (Modules C-D)
Design for Disassembly (DfD) enables future reuse and recycling and thus reduces
emissions from module C and D. However, currently there is no quantitative approach to
measure how DfD solutions may reduce embodied carbon.
The project design team are encouraged to incorporate the latest version of CSA Z782
(see Appendix A.2 (a) (i)) or ISO 20887 (see Appendix A.2 (a) (ii)) standards. These
guidelines provide guidance on design for disassembly and adaptability. If the design

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 team uses the directions in these standards for designing any of the building elements,
they can assume 50% reduction in modules C1-C4 emissions of those building elements.
This credit can be claimed if the software tool used provides the embodied carbon result
by elements and life cycle stages. The credit should be reported separately in the space
provided in the Design Report (See Section 6.1) with a brief description of the approach
taken. Additional information may be provided in the supporting report (See Section 6.2
(c)).
Life Cycle Stages Beyond Product (Modules A4-A5, B, and C)
Where the software tool scope is missing data for any of the life cycle stages beyond
product stage (i.e. beyond modules A1-A3), for example EC3 and tallyCAT and Builders
for Climate Action’s BEAM Estimator19), the following methodology may be used as an
interim solution to report whole-building embodied carbon emissions20:

 Construction process stage – transportation to the construction site (module A4)

impacts shall be assumed equal to 4% of the A1-A3 impacts;

 Construction process stage – construction (module A5) impacts shall be assumed

equal to 6% of the A1-A3 impacts;

 Use stage (modules B1-B5) impacts shall be assumed equal to 10% of the A1-A3
impacts;

 End-of-life stage (modules C1-C4) impacts shall be assumed equal to 5% of the A1-A3
impacts.

Note:
The above assumptions are provided as an interim measure to allow using the tools
that are currently missing, but are working towards adding, life cycle stages beyond the
product stage.
These assumptions can only be used when a full life cycle stage is missing in a software
tool and not when one or some modules within a life cycle stage is missing.
For the purposes of compliance with the VBBL embodied carbon requirements, these
assumptions shall only be used for EC3 and tallyCAT, among the software tools that are
listed in Appendix A.2 (a).

19
[Link]
Note that the BEAM Estimator tool is only applicable for Part 9 buildings and cannot be used for compliance with VBBL requirements
for Part 3 buildings.
20
These percentages are derived from the relative impacts of life cycle stages from about 80 wbLCAs, using Athena Impact Estimator
and One Click LCA tools. This includes the data from Carbon Footprint Benchmarking of BC Multi-Unit Residential Buildings, Athena
Institute, May 2017. [Link]

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 4.4 Treatment of Special Topics
Biogenic Carbon
Reporting the embodied carbon impacts associated with biogenic carbon is optional.
If included, they shall be calculated using the methodology included within the software tool
used. The results shall be reported separately and shall not be included in demonstration of
compliance with the embodied carbon limit.

Concrete Carbonation
Naturally occurring concrete carbonation may be calculated and reported.
If reported, they shall be calculated using the default modelling by the software tool used.
The results shall be reported separately and shall not be included in the embodied carbon
calculations used for compliance.

Land Use Change

The direct and induced land use change impacts shall not be included in the embodied
carbon calculation.

Note:
European EPDs, that follow EN 15804+A1, may roll up the biogenic carbon into the A1-
A3 value. The EPDs following EN 15804+A2, report GWP in four categories: fossil fuel
use, biogenic carbon, and land use, and total, which is the sum of the three former
GWP indicators.
If these European EPDs are used outside the software tools for manual calculations, as
allowed in Section 4.3 (c) (i), the user shall only use fossil GWP for embodied carbon
reporting and compliance. Biogenic carbon may be reported separately, but shall not
be used for compliance with the embodied carbon reduction requirements of VBBL.
For EPDs that are based on EN 15804+A1, the user may need to parse out the fossil
and biogenic GWP results by reading the EPD details (e.g. in the LCA interpretation
section).

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Embodied Carbon Guidelines October 2023
5 Creating a Baseline
This section provides guidance on creating a baseline for compliance through the baseline path
described in Section 2.2 (b).

5.1 General
Calculation Methodology
Except as allowed by this section, calculation of embodied carbon shall be the same for the
baseline and proposed design and in accordance with Sections 3 and 4 of these guidelines.
The software tool used to calculate embodied carbon shall be the same for the proposed
and the baseline.

5.2 Functional Equivalency

The baseline shall be functionally equivalent with the proposed design and meet all the VBBL and
zoning requirements.
Thermal Equivalence
The proposed design and the baseline shall have functionally-equivalent thermal
performance, as determined by the building architect, envelope engineer, mechanical
engineer, or energy modeller.
The thermal equivalency may be approximate and as determined by those noted above. As
such, approximate equivalency of clear-wall assembly R-value is acceptable for the embodied
carbon modeling of the baseline. Detailed calculations of thermal bridging and thermal
equivalence can be conducted but are not required.
Unless justification is provided, according to the thermal performance calculations or
professional judgment, the glazing ratio and number of panes shall be the same in the
baseline and the proposed design.

Structural Equivalence
The proposed design and the baseline shall have functionally-equivalent structural
performance, as determined by the building structural engineer or architect. However, the
structural systems do not have to be the same. For instance, a high-rise mass timber building
can assume the baseline structure to be concrete, as this is currently the common practice.
For more guidance, refer to the “Design Structure for Material Efficiency” section of Table 3.
The Whole Building Life Cycle Assessment: Reference Building Structure and Strategies,
published by ASCE/SEI, can be referred to for additional guidance on creating an equivalent
baseline structure (See Appendix A.2 (f) (i)).

Geometry Equivalence
Except as allowed in Section 5.4, the proposed design and the baseline shall have
functionally-equivalent building geometry and program (i.e., services and function of the

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Embodied Carbon Guidelines October 2023
 spaces, number of residential units and occupancy numbers for multi-unit residential
buildings (MURBs), building shape and orientation).

5.3 Approaches to Creating a Baseline

There are two acceptable approaches for creating a baseline: using an early design iteration and
using the proposed design.
Using an Early Design Iteration
A useful approach to developing a baseline is to calculate the embodied carbon of an earlier
iteration of the proposed design, and then use that as the starting point for creating an
improved design with lower embodied carbon.
The early design iteration chosen as the baseline must meet the functional equivalency
requirements specified in Section 5.2. Slight variations in the geometry resulting from the
design iterations are acceptable, if the baseline and proposed design offer the same services
and functions. The project team shall use their professional judgement to decide whether the
variations between the design versions are acceptable.
The material quantities in the baseline that are derived from an early design iteration may be
attained from a lower quality data source than the proposed design. If certain materials,
product types, and quantities are not specified in the early design, the user shall collaborate
with the project team to determine these factors for establishing the baseline.
For non-major materials and components that are challenging to quantify, identified by the
project team based on their professional judgement, the project team can utilize data from
comparable recent projects as a reference to estimate the quantity of materials in the
baseline. As an example, the quantity of structural steel connections can be estimated based
on the amount of this material per gross floor area obtained from a similar recent project.
Early-design wbLCA or embodied carbon assessment tools can also be used to estimate the
missing material quantities.

Using the Proposed Design

The user can modify the proposed design wbLCA to create the baseline to demonstrate
compliance.
This approach ensures the baseline is functionally-equivalent to the proposed design, has a
similar level of detail, and the user is aware of all sources of difference between the
embodied carbon of the proposed design and the baseline (e.g., material substitutions and
material efficiencies).
To do so, a copy of the proposed design wbLCA is created. The quantities, types, and EPDs
of the materials used in the proposed design to reduce embodied carbon are replaced with
the common-practice quantities, types, and EPDs.
Section 0 offers further guidance on material and component assumptions for the baseline.

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 5.4 Default Baseline Assumptions
The project team shall use their professional judgement to specify the baseline materials and
assemblies that reflect local common practice specific to the given building archetype. See Section
4.2 (c) for more guidance on identifying the common-practice approaches. See Section 4.3 (c) for
guidance on default material type and EPD assumptions.

Table 3 provides additional guidance on calculating the embodied carbon of the baseline, relative
to the proposed design. Table 3 is loosely organized by embodied carbon reduction strategies
adapted from the Carbon Leadership Forum’s Embodied Carbon Reduction Checklist 21. Refer to
the resources provided in the Intent Section for ideas and strategies to reduce embodied carbon.
Where baseline assumptions specified by the project team vary from Table 1, Table 2, and Table 3,
a description shall be provided in the spaces provided in the Design Report (see Section 6.1) or the
supporting report (see Section 6.2 (c)).

Table 3: Calculating Embodied Carbon of the Baseline Relative to the Proposed Design
Baseline Proposed Design

1. Build Less, Reuse More

Reduce Demolition
(Out of scope) (Out of scope)

If the proposed design includes partial or complete removal of any existing building See Section 4.3 (c)
or building element on the site, the baseline shall not include the emissions from the (vi)
demolition or deconstruction of the existing building.

Reuse/Retrofit Existing Buildings

The baseline shall assume entirely new construction for all building areas, even if See Section 4.3 (c)
some portions of the building will be retained and reused in the proposed design. (vi)

Use Salvaged or Refurbished Materials

The baseline shall assume entirely new materials for all materials and assemblies, even See Section 4.3 (c)
if salvaged materials are used in the proposed design. (vi)

Design for Disassembly (DfD)

(Optional) (Optional)

Even if DfD is incorporated in the proposed design, default module C and D See Section 4.3 (c)
assumptions in the software tool shall be used for the baseline. (vii)

The baseline module C and D data may be modified if the project team can provide
more representative project-specific or regional data on these modules.

21
[Link]

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Embodied Carbon Guidelines October 2023
 Baseline Proposed Design

2. Design Lighter and Smarter

Reduce Floor Area of Below-Grade Construction
The baseline shall assume one of the following options to identify the parkade area of As per the
the baseline: proposed design

Option 1. The minimum parking requirements in the City of Vancouver Parking By-
law22;
Option 2. The number of storeys provided in Table 4; or,
Option 3. The same as the proposed design.

Table 4: Assumptions for Below-Grade Parkade Levels in the Baseline

Above-Grade Storeys Below-Grade Parkade Storeys
Proposed Design Baseline Baseline
(Developments with (All Other
Multiple Buildings over Parkade) Developments)
1-3 1 1
RR zones: 1 RR zones: 1
4-6
All others: 2 All others: 2
7-12 2 2
13-18 3 3
19-24 3 4
25-30 3 5
31-36 3 6
37-42 3 7
43+ 3 8

Note:

The project team may use their professional judgement to estimate the quantity
of materials used in the baseline parkade, if different from the proposed design.

A possible approach is to calculate the embodied carbon intensity per stall or per
level of parkade in the proposed design. The intensity can then be multiplied by
the number of stalls (Option 1) or the number of parkade storeys in the baseline
(Option 2) to estimate the embodied carbon of the parkade in the baseline.

Design Structure for Material Efficiency

The baseline may assume a typical structural design, appropriate to the building and
As per the
functionally equivalent to the proposed design, as determined by the building
proposed design
structural engineer.

Where intentional design choices are made that vary from a typical design and result
in embodied carbon reduction, those may be reflected in differences between the
baseline and the proposed design. Otherwise, both the baseline and proposed design

22
[Link]

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Embodied Carbon Guidelines October 2023
 Baseline Proposed Design

shall have the same structural design assumptions. Examples of these design choices
for the structural elements include:

 Reducing bay sizing and column and beam spacing;

 Reducing member cross sections;
 Avoiding cantilevers and transfer slabs;
 Reducing rebar and tendons quantities and concrete volume in structural
concrete by using post-tensioned concrete slabs;
 The knock-on effects of lighter structures, e.g., using void systems, timber
structural elements, lighter enclosure and façade systems may result in smaller
footings and foundations;
 Allowing for the preservation of an existing structure;
 Exposing structural materials where possible to avoid finishing.

For more guidance, refer to Table 1 and Table 2 in this document. The Whole Building
Life Cycle Assessment: Reference Building Structure and Strategies by ASCE/SEI can
also be referred to for additional guidance (See Appendix A.2 (f) (i)).

Note:

If an early design iteration is used as the baseline (section 5.3 (a)), contingency
factors assumed in early design (e.g. adding an extra 10% to structural materials
quantity) shall be excluded. Embodied carbon reduction from removing the
contingency factors cannot be accounted for in compliance.

Choose Finishes Carefully

(Optional) (Optional)

If included in the embodied carbon of the proposed design, the baseline may assume As per the
typical interior finishes, appropriate to the building and functionally equivalent to the proposed design
proposed design, as determined by the building architect.

See Table 1 for more guidance on interior material and assembly types.

Minimize Construction and Demolition Waste

As per the default scenarios in the software tools for modules A5 and C1-C4. As per the
proposed design
The baseline data may be modified, if the tool allows it, and if the project team can
provide more representative project-specific, city-wide or regional waste
management data.

3. Use Low-Carbon Alternatives

Select Lower-Carbon Structural and Enclosure Materials and Assemblies
The baseline structure and enclosure assemblies and materials shall reflect local As per proposed
typical practice for the building type and application. The project team should use design
their professional judgement to specify the local common practice for the building
archetype and application.

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Embodied Carbon Guidelines October 2023
 Baseline Proposed Design

Refer to Table 1 for more guidance on common materials and assemblies in

Vancouver local practices.

Select Carbon-Storing Materials

(Optional for reporting) (Optional for
(Out of scope for compliance) reporting)

(Out of scope for

If reported for the proposed design, the baseline shall also report biogenic carbon.
compliance)
The results shall be reported separately and shall not be included in demonstration of
compliance.
See Section 4.4 (a)

Select Lower-Carbon Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) Systems

(Optional) (Optional)

If included in the proposed design, the baseline shall assume typical MEP design that As per the
meets the operational carbon requirements in VBBL, as determined by the building proposed design
mechanical engineer.

Refer to Table 2 for more guidance on calculating embodied carbon of services.

4. Procure Low-Carbon Products

Use Zero-carbon Construction
For transportation to site and construction site emissions, the baseline shall be as per See Sections 4.3
the default scenarios in the software tool for modules A4 and A5. (c) (ii) and (iii)

The embodied carbon emissions from construction site (A5) tend to be under-
reported in the software tools. If the project team intends to claim embodied carbon
reduction from construction site, the user may replace the default values in the tool
for the baseline with more comprehensive data that the project team may have from
comparable recent projects.

Specify Lower-carbon Options

The baseline shall use the industry-wide EPD available for a material or product, using See Section 4.3 (c)
the most recent version of the CLF Baselines Report (See Appendix A.1 (d) (i)). The (i)
most local EPD shall be selected, by order of priority: BC, Canada, and North America.

Refer to Section 4.3 (c) (i) for more guidance on choosing the industry-wide EPDs for
common materials and products.

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Embodied Carbon Guidelines October 2023
6 Documentation
The documents specified in Sections 6.1 and 6.2 shall be submitted at the time of Building Permit
application. For multi-staged permits under the Certified Professional Program23, the embodied carbon
documents are required at Full Construction permit.
For rezoning application requirements, refer to the applicable policy and/or bulletin24. There is no
requirements for Development Permit application.
Resubmission of these documents are not required at Occupancy Permit stage.
The documents and data collected will be utilized for compliance purposes. In addition, anonymized
data might be shared with research entities and policy makers for informing future policy and
regulatory enhancements.

6.1 Embodied Carbon Design Report (Required)

Compliance with embodied carbon requirements in the VBBL shall be demonstrated by submitting
the Embodied Carbon Design Report25.
The Design Report shall be submitted in in both Excel and PDF formats.
Where, as allowed by these guidelines, manual changes to the software tool have been made, or
alternates to the default assumptions specified in these guidelines used, a summary and
justification shall be submitted in the spaces provided in the Design Report.
Projects with multiple buildings shall follow the guidance provided in Section 2.4 (a) to decide
whether the embodied carbon compliance of the buildings should be reported separately or
together. If reported separately, one Design Report shall be submitted per building.

6.2 Other Submittal Requirements

In addition to the Design Report, projects shall provide the following, if they are applicable.
Unless otherwise instructed, these documents should be submitted as separate files.
Raw Data from the Software Tool (Required)
The export of raw data from the software tool used, containing both the embodied carbon
emissions breakdown and the bill of materials (i.e. material quantities), shall be submitted.
Depending on the software tool used, this data may be provided in a single or two separate
documents in Excel format. The users shall follow the guidance provided on preparing and
submitting raw data outputs from each software tool26.

23
[Link]
24
[Link]
25
The Embodied Carbon Design Report is available under the “Document” section in the following link: [Link]
vancouver/[Link]#embodied-carbon
26
See the following link for guidance on preparing and submitting raw data outputs from each software tool:
[Link]

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Embodied Carbon Guidelines October 2023
 If modifications are made to the raw data outside the software tool, after they are exported
as allowed in Section 4.3 (c), the user shall submit the raw data before the manual changes
for this submission requirement.
The manual changes outside the tool should be clearly explained in the spaces provided in
the Design Report (See Section 6.1). The user shall submit the modified versions of the raw
outputs as described in Section 6.2 (b). Additional details may be provided in the supporting
report (See Section 6.2 (c)).

Manual Calculations (Required)

Where manual calculations have been conducted outside the software tool due to the
limitations in the tool, a document or documents containing these calculations shall be
submitted. Any manual calculations shall be as permitted in Section 4.3 (c).
This submission shall be submitted in Excel format. This is in addition to the raw data
submission noted in Section 6.2 (a). It may be a modified version of the raw data exported
from the software tool, if changes are made directly on the raw data from the tool, or may
also be a separate file containing the manual calculations.

Supporting Report (Optional)

It is optional to submit a supporting report along with the Design Report. This report may be
auto-generated by the software tool or be a customized report created by the project team.
This report shall be in PDF format.
The report may contain further information that could not be included in the Design Report,
such as modelling assumptions, data sources, or approaches taken to reduce embodied
carbon emissions, including any reused elements or design for disassembly strategies.

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Embodied Carbon Guidelines October 2023
Appendices
Embodied Carbon Guidelines

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Embodied Carbon Guidelines October 2023
Appendix A: References

A.1 Normative References

Quantifying Whole-building Embodied Carbon
EN 15978:2011 Sustainability of Construction Works – Assessment of environmental
performance of buildings – Calculation method27, 2011
ISO 21931-1:2022 Sustainability in Buildings and Civil Engineering Works — Framework for
Methods of Assessment of the Environmental, Social and Economic Performance of
Construction Works as a Basis for Sustainability Assessment — Part 1: Buildings28

Life cycle Inventory (LCIA)

Tool for Reduction and Assessment of Chemicals and Other Environmental Impacts
(TRACI) v2.129, 2012

Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)

ISO 21930:2017 Sustainability in Buildings and Civil Engineering Works — Core Rules for
Environmental Product Declarations of Construction Products and Services30, 2017
EN 15804+A1 or EN 15804+A2 Sustainability of Construction Works — Environmental
Product Declarations — Core Rules for the Product Category of Construction Products31,
2014 and 2019

Industry-wide Embodied Carbon Intensities

2023 CLF North American Material Baselines Report32, 2023 (referred to as CLF
Baselines Report in this document)

27
[Link]
buildings-calculation-method/
28
[Link]
The current version of the (i) (2022) references EN 15978:2011 as the main standard for wbLCA. The new version of ISO 21931-1 (2022)
was not available at the time. The NRC Guidelines specifies that this new version of the ISO standard may be relevant but EN 15978
remains the main reference for NRC Guidelines. This is because ISO 21931 is a framework and does not provide the same level of
detailed instruction as EN 15978.
29
[Link]
30
ISO 21930 is an international standard that provides principles, specifications and requirements for building product EPDs. ISO
21930 is the standard used in North America for building products.
[Link]
works.
31
EN 15804 is a European standard that European building product EPDs had to comply with until July 2022.
[Link]
core-rules-for-the-product-category-of-construction-products/
In 2019, a major addendum was added to EN 15804, which became mandatory in July 2022.
[Link]
for-the-product-category-of-construction-products/
32
At the time of publishing these guidelines, 2023 is the latest version of the CLF Baseline Report, which is available here:
[Link]

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Embodied Carbon Guidelines – Appendix A October 2023
 A.2 Informative References
Common wbLCA and Embodied Carbon Assessment Software Tools
The following are the most common software tools used in North America for embodied
carbon assessment of Part 3 buildings. These tools claim to be developed based on the
applicable normative standards listed in Appendices A.1 (a) to A.1 (c). These tools are
acceptable for compliance with VBBL.
If other tools are used, the user must check with the tool providers to ensure the tool and the
databases used within the tool are developed in accordance with the standards specified in
the Appendices A.1 (a) to A.1 (c).
If the user modifies the default embodied carbon results from the software tool used to
incorporate EPDs that are not available in, the user shall ensure the EPD used comply with
one of the standards specified in Appendix A.1 (c).
Athena Impact Estimator33
tallyLCA34 (formerly known as Tally)
tallyCAT35
Embodied Carbon in Construction calculator (EC3)36
One Click LCA37

Whole-building Embodied Carbon Assessment

NRC National Guidelines for Whole-Building Life Cycle Assessment38, 2022 (referred to
as NRC Guidelines in this document)
KPMB Lab WBLCA Classification System39, 2022
BSR/ASHRAE/ICC Standard 240P, Evaluating Greenhouse Gas (GHG) and Carbon
Emissions in Building Design, Construction and Operation, Advisory Public Review
Draft40, 2023 (referred to as ASHRAE/ICC 240p in this document)

Building Element Classification

OmniClass41, Table 21 - Elements42, 2012

33
[Link]
34
[Link]
35
[Link]
36
[Link]
37
[Link]
38
[Link]
39
http:\\[Link]/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/[Link]
40
This reference is a draft standard and is subject to change. However, the content provided valuable resource for these guidelines.
An advisory public review was open for the draft standard in April-May 2023. See the following link for more information:
[Link]
emissions-evaluation-standard
41
[Link]
42
OmniClass consists of 15 tables for classifying the entire built environment throughout the full project life cycle. Table 21 (Elements)
provides a hierarchical taxonomy for classifying and identifying elements within a facility.

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 Building Services Embodied Carbon Assessment (Optional)
TM65 Embodied Carbon in Building Services: A Calculation Methodology 43, 2021
TM65LA Embodied carbon in building services: Using TM65 outside the UK 44, 2022

Design for Disassembly (Optional)

CSA Z782-06 Guideline for Design for Disassembly and Adaptability in Buildings 45, 2006
ISO 20887:2020 Sustainability in Buildings and Civil Engineering Works — Design for
Disassembly and Adaptability — Principles, Requirements and Guidance46, 2020

Determining the Baseline

ASCE/SEI Whole Building Life Cycle Assessment: Reference Building Structure and
Strategies47, 2018

Embodied Carbon Reduction

CLF Embodied Carbon Reduction Checklist48
CLF Embodied Carbon Toolkit for Architects49
MEP 2040 initiative50
Architecture 203051
Structural Engineering Institute, SE 2050 initiative52

43
Developed by the UK Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE), TM65 provides guidance on how to use EPDs to
assess the embodied carbon of building services equipment, and where EPDs are not available, it provides guidance on how to
estimate the embodied carbon.
[Link]
tm65
44
[Link]
45
[Link]
This guideline by Canadian Standard Association provides a framework for reducing the negative environmental
impact of building construction and waste through design for disassembly and adaptability
46
[Link]
47
[Link]
48
[Link]
49
[Link]
50
[Link]
51
[Link]
52
[Link]

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Appendix B: Additional Information on the Specification of the Object of
Assessment

B.1 Life Cycle Stages

Life Cycle Stages and the System Boundary for Compliance
The following graph shows the life cycle stages and the system boundary for a wbLCA to
comply with these guidelines.

Optional
(Reported Separately)

Figure 2: Life Cycle Stages and the System Boundary

(Source: Figure 4, NRC Guidelines (See Appendix A.2 (b) (i)), Modified)

Description of Life Cycle Stages

The following definitions for the life cycle stages are from ASHRAE/ICC 240p.
Product Stage (Modules A1-A3)
 Raw material supply (Module A1):
The raw material supply module includes all processes and materials associated with
harvesting, extraction, collection, and further production of raw materials.

 Raw material transport (ModuleA2):

The raw material transport module includes the transport of raw materials to a
product manufacturing facility or to multiple manufacturing facilities.

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  Manufacturing (Module A3):
The manufacturing module includes the processes and materials required for the
fabrication and production of a product. These typically occur within a manufacturing
facility.

Construction stage (Modules A4-A5)

 Transportation to the construction site (Module A4):
The transportation to the construction site module includes the delivery of all
materials and products included in the bill of materials to the construction site.

 Construction (Module A5):

The construction module assessment includes processes and materials required for
the assembly of the project on a site. These include construction waste generation
and management as well as the electricity and natural gas consumption – for instance
for using the equipment and tools, heating, and cooling.

Use stage (Modules B1 – B7)

 In-use emissions (Module B1):
The in-use emissions module captures the non-energy related emissions that occur
during the life of the building associated with normal conditions of use of the
products and components installed in the project. This module also includes
emissions from materials such as off-gassing or blowing agents in insulation,
processes such as carbonation, and fugitive emissions of refrigerants.

 Maintenance (Module B2):

The maintenance module includes all processes and materials used for planned
maintenance required to sustain the functions of the building and building systems,
including the production, transportation, and end-of-life treatment of materials used
in the maintenance processes.

 Repair (Module B3):

The repair module assessment includes all processes and materials required to
sustain the functions of the building outside of regularly planned maintenance,
including production and transport of materials and components, waste management
and end-of-life treatment of materials and components removed from the building,
and production, transport and disposal of ancillary materials used during the repair.

 Replacement (Module B4):

The replacement module assessment includes all processes, materials, and
components used in replacing components in their entirety at the end of their service
life, including production and transportation of new materials and components, waste
management and end-of-life treatment of materials and components removed from
the building, and production, transport and disposal of ancillary materials used during
the replacement.

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  Refurbishment (Module B5):
The refurbishment module assessment includes all processes, materials, and
components used during refurbishment or retrofit processes within the larger project,
including production and transportation of new materials and components, waste
management and end-of-life treatment of materials and components removed from
the building, and production, transport and disposal of ancillary materials used during
the refurbishment activity.

 Operational energy use (Module B6):

The operational energy use module includes energy use within the project during the
service life of the building, including regulated, non-regulated, and other energy use
associated with building user activities (e.g., plug loads and fuel-based process
loads).

 Operational water use (Module B7):

The operational water use module includes water use and its treatment during the
service life of the building, including drinking water used by building-integrated
systems and appliance use. Excludes water systems and equipment.

Deconstruction and end-of-life (Modules C1-4)

 Deconstruction (Module C1):
The deconstruction module includes all on-site and off-site processes and inputs for
the decommissioning, dismantling, deconstructing, and/or demolishing the project.

 End-of-life transportation (Module C2):

The end-of-life transportation module includes all transportation between the site
and the final sorting, disposal, or end-of-waste location, including transportation to
and from intermediate storage or waste processing locations.

 Processing for reuse, recovery, or recycling (Module C3):

The processing for reuse, recovery, or recycling module includes all processes and
material flows required for recycling, reusing, or recovering construction products,
materials, construction elements, and debris to reach their end-of-waste state as
recovered material re-entering the market.

 Disposal (Module C4):

The disposal module includes all processes and material flows required for waste
disposal and treatment, including neutralization, incineration, landfilling, and
management of the disposal site.
o Disposal management shall include on-site transport and energy and water use
related to waste processing at the disposal location.
o For end-of-life processes with long-term emissions, such as landfilling, a period of
100 years shall be used to calculate relevant emissions.
o Environmental loads from energy recovery process shall be included in the
disposal stage assessment.

City of Vancouver Page B-3 of B-16

Embodied Carbon Guidelines – Appendix B October 2023
 Benefits and loads beyond the system boundary (Modules D1-D2)
 Future substitution of resources (Module D1):
The future substitution of resources module includes all environmental loads and
benefits from reused products, recycled materials, secondary fuels, and recovered
energy leaving a project for use in a subsequent product system as material.

 Exported energy (Module D2):

The exported energy module includes all environmental loads and benefits for
recovered and exported energy used to meet the energy demand outside of the
project.

B.2 Building Elements, Required and Optional Scope for Compliance

Table 5 expands upon the element list provided in Table 9 in NRC Guidelines (see Appendix A.2 (b)
(i)), Building Model Scope Definition. Table 9 of the NRC Guidelines offer a Level 3, UniFormat53 Level
3 OmniClass element list (See Appendix A.2 (c)). To provide further clarity on the element scope for
VBBL compliance, Table 5 includes Level 4 OmniClass element titles. The last column of Table 5
specifies whether each element is required, optional, or out of scope for VBBL compliance.

Note:
The required scope specified in Table 5 are subject to availability of data from the project and
software tool. The user shall specify the required scope that are excluded from reporting with a
brief explanation in the Design Report (See Section 6.1).

53
[Link]

City of Vancouver Page B-4 of B-16

Embodied Carbon Guidelines – Appendix B October 2023
Table 5: Mandatory and Optional Element Scope for Compliance with VBBL
(Adapted from Table 9, NRC Guidelines (See Appendix A.2 (b) (i)))

Legend:
Required Optional Exclude

UniFormat OmniClass Inclusion

Level 3 Level 3 Level 4 in Scope
A 01 00 00 Substructure
A10 01 10 Foundations
A 1010 01 10 10 Standard Foundations 01 10 10 10 Wall Foundations Required
01 10 10 30 Column Foundations
01 10 10 90 Standard Foundation Optional
Supplementary Components
A1020 01 10 20 Special Foundations 01 10 20 10 Driven Piles Required
01 10 20 15 Bored Piles
01 10 20 20 Caissons
01 10 20 30 Special Foundation Walls Optional
01 10 20 40 Foundation Anchors
01 10 20 50 Underpinning
01 10 20 60 Raft Foundations Required
01 10 20 70 Pile Caps
01 10 20 80 Grade Beams
A20 01 20 Subgrade Enclosures
A2010 01 20 10 Walls for Subgrade 01 20 10 10 Subgrade Enclosure Wall Required
Enclosures Construction
01 20 10 20 Subgrade Enclosure Wall
Interior Skin
(Include thermal, moisture,
acoustic, and fire protection
layers, if any)
01 20 10 90 Subgrade Enclosure Wall Optional
Supplementary Components
A40 01 40 Slabs-on-Grade
A4010 01 40 10 Standard Slabs-on- - - Required
Grade
A4030 01 40 20 Structural Slabs-on- - - Required
Grade
A4040 01 40 30 Slab Trenches - - Optional
A4040 01 4040 Pits and Bases - - Optional
A4090 01 40 90 Slab-On-Grade 01 40 90 10 Perimeter Insulation Required
Supplementary 01 40 90 20 Vapor Retarder
Components 01 40 90 30 Waterproofing
01 40 90 60 Subbase Layer
01 40 90 50 Mud Slab Optional
A60 01 60 Water and Gas Mitigation
A6010 01 60 10 Building Sub-drainage 01 60 10 10 Foundation Drainage Optional
01 60 10 20 Under-slab Drainage
A6020 01 60 20 Off-Gassing Mitigation 01 60 20 10 Radon Mitigation Exclude
01 60 20 50 Methane Mitigation
A90 01 90 Substructure Related Activities
A9010 01 90 10 Substructure Excavation 01 90 10 10 Backfill and Compaction Optional
A9020 01 90 20 Construction Dewatering - - Exclude
01 90 30 Excavation Support 01 90 30 10 Anchor Tiebacks Exclude
A9030 01 90 30 20 Cofferdams
01 90 30 40 Cribbing and Walers
01 90 30 60 Ground Freezing
01 90 30 70 Slurry Walls
A9040 01 9040 Soil Treatment - - Exclude

City of Vancouver Page B-5 of B-16

Embodied Carbon Guidelines – Appendix B October 2023
 UniFormat OmniClass Inclusion
Level 3 Level 3 Level 4 in Scope
B 02 00 00 Shell
B10 02 10 Superstructure
B1010 02 10 10 Floor Construction 02 10 10 10 Floor Structural Frame Required
(Include above and below-
grade floors, columns, beams,
and shear walls54)
02 10 10 20 Floor Decks, Slabs, and
Toppings
(Include thermal, moisture,
acoustic, and fire protection
layers, if any)
02 10 10 30 Balcony Floor Construction
02 10 10 40 Mezzanine Floor Construction
02 10 10 50 Ramps
02 10 10 90 Floor Construction Optional
Supplementary Components

B1020 02 10 20 Roof Construction 02 10 20 10 Roof Structural Frame Required

02 10 20 20 Roof Decks, Slabs, and
Sheathing
02 10 20 30 Canopy Construction
02 10 20 90 Roof Construction Optional
Supplementary Components
B1080 02 10 80 Stairs 02 10 80 10 Stair Construction Required
(Include above and below-
grade stairs)
02 10 80 30 Stair Soffits
(Include above and below-
grade stairs)
02 10 80 50 Stair Railings
02 10 80 60 Fire Escapes Optional
02 10 80 70 Metal Walkways
02 10 80 80 Ladders
B20 02 20 Exterior Vertical Enclosures
B2010 02 20 10 Exterior Walls 02 20 10 10 Exterior Wall Veneer Required
02 20 10 20 Exterior Wall Construction
(Include thermal, moisture,
acoustic, and fire protection
layers, if any)
02 20 10 30 Exterior Wall Interior Skin
(Include thermal, moisture,
acoustic, and fire protection
layers, if any)
02 20 10 40 Fabricated Exterior Wall
Assemblies
(Include thermal, moisture,
acoustic, and fire protection
layers, if any)
02 20 10 50 Parapets
02 20 10 60 Equipment Screens Optional
02 20 10 80 Exterior Wall Supplementary
Components
02 20 10 90 Exterior Wall Opening
Supplementary Components

54
The structural elements on the below-grade interior are included in the Shell, Superstructure, classification, because the
Substructure in the OmniClass only covers foundations, exterior walls, and slab-on-grade.

City of Vancouver Page B-6 of B-16

Embodied Carbon Guidelines – Appendix B October 2023
 UniFormat OmniClass Inclusion
Level 3 Level 3 Level 4 in Scope
B2020 02 20 20 Exterior Windows 02 20 20 10 Exterior Operating Windows Required
02 20 20 20 Exterior Fixed Windows
02 20 20 30 Exterior Window Wall
02 20 20 40 Exterior Special Function
Windows
B2050 02 20 50 Exterior Doors and 02 20 50 10 Exterior Entrance Doors Required
Grilles 02 20 50 20 Exterior Utility Doors
02 20 50 30 Exterior Oversize Doors Optional
02 20 50 40 Exterior Special Function Doors Optional
02 20 50 60 Exterior Grilles
02 20 50 70 Exterior Gates
B2070 02 20 70 Exterior Louvers and 02 20 70 10 Exterior Lovers Optional
Vents 02 20 70 50 Exterior Vents
B2080 02 20 80 Exterior Wall 02 20 80 10 Exterior Fixed Grilles and Optional
Appurtenances Screens
02 20 80 30 Exterior Opening Protection
Devices
02 20 80 50 Exterior Balcony Walls and
Railings
02 20 80 70 Exterior Fabrications
02 20 80 80 Bird Control Devices
B2090 02 20 90 Exterior Wall Specialties - - Optional
B30 02 30 Exterior Horizontal Enclosures
B3010 02 30 10 Roofing 02 30 10 10 Steep Slope Roofing Required
(Include thermal, moisture,
acoustic, and fire protection
layers, if any)
02 30 10 50 Low-Slope Roofing
(Include thermal, moisture,
acoustic, and fire protection
layers, if any)
02 30 10 70 Canopy Roofing
02 30 10 90 Roofing Supplementary Optional
Components
B3020 02 30 20 Roof Appurtenances 02 30 20 10 Roof Accessories Optional
02 30 20 30 Roof Specialties
02 30 20 70 Rainwater Management
B3040 02 3040 Traffic Bearing 02 30 40 10 Traffic Bearing Coatings Optional
Horizontal Enclosures 02 30 40 30 Horizontal Waterproofing
Membrane
02 30 40 50 Wear Surfaces
02 30 40 90 Horizontal Enclosure
Supplementary Components
B3060 02 30 60 Horizontal Openings 02 30 60 10 Roof Windows and Skylights Required
02 30 60 50 Vents and Hatches Optional
02 30 60 90 Horizontal Opening
Supplementary Components
B3080 02 30 80 Overhead Exterior 02 30 80 10 Exterior Ceilings Optional
Enclosures 02 30 80 20 Exterior Soffits
02 30 80 30 Exterior Bulkheads
C 03 00 00 Interiors
C10 03 10 Interior Construction
C1010 03 10 10 Interior Partitions 03 10 10 10 Interior Fixed Partitions Optional
03 10 10 20 Interior Glazed Partitions
03 10 10 40 Interior Demountable Partitions
03 10 10 50 Interior Operable Partitions
03 10 10 70 Interior Screens
03 10 10 90 Interior Partition
Supplementary Components
C1020 03 10 20 Interior Windows 03 10 20 10 Interior Operating Windows Optional
03 10 20 20 Interior Fixed Windows

City of Vancouver Page B-7 of B-16

Embodied Carbon Guidelines – Appendix B October 2023
 UniFormat OmniClass Inclusion
Level 3 Level 3 Level 4 in Scope
03 10 20 50 Interior Special Function
Windows
03 10 20 90 Interior Window
Supplementary Components
C1030 03 10 30 Interior Doors 03 10 30 10 Interior Swinging Doors Optional
03 10 30 20 Interior Entrance Doors
03 10 30 25 Interior Sliding Doors
03 10 30 30 Interior Folding Doors
03 10 30 40 Interior Coiling Doors
03 10 30 50 Interior Panel Doors
03 10 30 70 Interior Special Function Doors
03 10 30 80 Interior Access Doors and
Panels
03 10 30 90 Interior Door Supplementary
Components
C1040 03 10 40 Interior Grilles and Gates 03 10 40 10 Interior Grilles Optional
03 10 40 50 Interior Gates
C1060 03 10 60 Raised Floor 03 10 60 10 Access Flooring Optional
Construction 03 10 60 10 Platform/Stage Floors
C1070 03 10 70 Suspended Ceiling 03 10 70 10 Acoustical Suspended Ceilings Optional
Construction 03 10 70 20 Suspended Plaster and Gypsum
Board Ceilings
03 10 70 50 Specialty Suspended Ceilings
03 10 70 70 Special Function Suspended
Ceilings
03 10 70 90 Ceiling Suspension
Components
C1090 03 10 90 Interior Specialties 03 10 90 10 Interior Railings and Handrails Optional
03 10 90 15 Interior Lovers
03 10 90 20 Information Specialties Exclude
03 10 90 25 Compartments and Cubicles
03 10 90 30 Service Walls
03 10 90 35 Wall and Door Protection
03 10 90 40 Toilet, Bath, and Laundry
Accessories
03 10 90 45 Interior Gas Lighting
03 10 90 50 Fireplaces and Stoves
03 10 90 60 Safety Specialties
03 10 90 70 Storage Specialties
03 10 90 90 Other Interior Specialties
C10 03 20 Interior Finishes
C2010 03 20 10 Wall Finishes 03 20 10 10 Tile Wall Finish Optional
03 20 10 20 Wall Paneling
03 20 10 30 Wall Coverings
03 20 10 35 Wall Carpeting
03 20 10 50 Stone Facing
03 20 10 60 Special Wall Surfacing
03 20 10 70 Wall Painting and Coating
03 20 10 80 Acoustical Wall Treatment
03 20 10 90 Wall Finish Supplementary
Components
C2020 03 20 20 Interior Fabrications - - Optional
C2030 03 20 30 Flooring 03 20 30 10 Flooring Treatment Optional
03 20 30 20 Tile Flooring
03 20 30 30 Specialty Flooring
03 20 30 40 Masonry Flooring
03 20 30 50 Wood Flooring
03 20 30 60 Resilient Flooring
03 20 30 70 Terrazzo Flooring
03 20 30 75 Fluid-Applied Flooring
03 20 30 80 Carpeting, Athletic Flooring

City of Vancouver Page B-8 of B-16

Embodied Carbon Guidelines – Appendix B October 2023
 UniFormat OmniClass Inclusion
Level 3 Level 3 Level 4 in Scope
03 20 30 85 Entrance Flooring
03 20 30 90 Flooring Supplementary
Components
C2040 03 20 40 Stair Finishes 03 20 40 20 Tile Stair Finish Optional
03 20 40 40 Masonry Stair Finish
03 20 40 45 Wood Stair Finish
03 20 40 50 Resilient Stair Finish
03 20 40 60 Terrazzo Stair Finish
03 20 40 75 Carpeted Stair Finish
C2050 03 20 50 Ceiling Finishes 03 20 50 10 Plaster and Gypsum Board Optional
Finish
03 20 50 20 Ceiling Paneling
03 20 50 70 Ceiling Painting and Coating
03 20 50 80 Acoustical Ceiling Treatment
03 20 50 90 Ceiling Finish Supplementary
Components
D 04 00 00 Services
D10 04 10 Conveying
D1010 04 10 10 Vertical Conveying 04 10 10 10 Elevators Optional
Systems 04 10 10 20 Lifts
04 10 10 30 Escalators
04 10 10 50 Dumbwaiters
04 10 10 60 Moving Ramps
D1030 04 10 30 Horizontal Conveying 04 10 30 10 Moving Walks Optional
04 10 30 30 Turntables
04 10 30 50 Passenger Loading Bridges
04 10 30 70 People Movers Exclude
D1050 04 10 50 Material Handling 04 10 50 10 Cranes Exclude
04 10 50 20 Hoists
04 10 50 30 Derricks
04 10 50 40 Conveyors
04 10 50 50 Baggage Handling Equipment
04 10 50 60 Chutes
04 10 50 70 Pneumatic Tube Systems
D1080 04 10 80 Operable Access 04 10 80 10 Suspended Scaffolding Exclude
Systems 04 10 80 20 Rope Climbers
04 10 80 30 Elevating Platforms
04 10 80 40 Powered Scaffolding
04 10 80 50 Building Envelope Access
D20 04 20 Plumbing
D2010 04 20 10 Domestic Water 04 20 10 10 Facility Potable-Water Storage Optional
Distribution Tanks
04 20 10 20 Domestic Water Equipment
04 20 10 40 Domestic Water Piping
04 20 10 60 Plumbing Fixtures
04 20 10 90 Domestic Water Distribution
Supplementary Components
D2020 04 20 20 Sanitary Drainage 04 20 20 10 Sanitary Sewerage Equipment Optional
04 20 20 30 Sanitary Sewerage Piping
04 20 20 90 Sanitary Drainage
Supplementary Components
D2030 04 20 30 Building Support 04 20 30 10 Stormwater Drainage Optional
Plumbing Systems Equipment
04 20 30 20 Stormwater Drainage Piping
04 20 30 30 Facility Stormwater Drains
04 20 30 60 Gray Water Systems
04 20 30 90 Building Support Plumbing
System Supplementary
Components

City of Vancouver Page B-9 of B-16

Embodied Carbon Guidelines – Appendix B October 2023
 UniFormat OmniClass Inclusion
Level 3 Level 3 Level 4 in Scope
D2050 04 20 50 General Service - - Optional
Compressed-Air
D2060 04 20 60 Process Support 04 20 60 10 Compressed-Air Systems Optional
Plumbing Systems 04 20 60 20 Vacuum Systems
04 20 60 30 Gas Systems
04 20 60 40 Chemical-Waste Systems
04 20 60 50 Processed Water Systems
04 20 60 90 Process Support Plumbing
System Supplementary
Components
D30 04 30 Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC)
D3010 04 30 10 Facility Fuel Systems 04 30 10 10 Fuel Piping Optional
04 30 10 30 Fuel Pumps
04 30 10 50 Fuel Storage Tanks
D3020 04 30 20 Heating Systems 04 30 20 10 Heat Generation Optional
04 30 20 30 Thermal Heat Storage
04 30 20 70 Decentralized Heating
Equipment
04 30 20 90 Heating System
Supplementary Components
D3030 04 30 30 Cooling Systems 04 30 30 10 Central Cooling Optional
04 30 30 30 Evaporative Air-Cooling
04 30 30 50 Thermal Cooling Storage
04 30 30 70 Decentralized Cooling
04 30 30 90 Cooling System Supplementary
Components
D3050 04 30 50 Facility HVAC 04 30 50 10 Facility Hydronic Distribution Optional
Distribution Systems 04 30 50 30 Facility Steam Distribution
04 30 50 50 HVAC Air Distribution
04 30 50 90 Facility Distribution Systems
Supplementary Components
D3060 04 30 60 Ventilation 04 30 60 10 Supply Air Optional
04 30 60 20 Return Air
04 30 60 30 Exhaust Air
04 30 60 40 Outside Air
04 30 60 60 Air-to-Air Energy Recovery
04 30 60 70 HVAC Air Cleaning
04 30 60 90 Ventilation Supplementary
Components
D3070 04 30 70 Special Purpose HVAC 04 30 70 10 Snow Melting Optional
Systems
D40 04 40 Fire Protection
D4010 04 40 10 Fire Suppression 04 40 10 10 Water-Based Fire-Suppression Optional
04 40 10 50 Fire-Extinguishing
04 40 10 90 Fire Suppression
Supplementary Components
D4030 04 40 30 Fire Protection 04 40 30 10 Fire Protection Cabinets Optional
Specialties 04 40 30 30 Fire Extinguishers
04 40 30 50 Breathing Air Replenishment
Systems
04 40 30 70 Fire Extinguisher Accessories
D50 04 50 Electrical
D5010 04 50 10 Facility Power 04 50 10 10 Packaged Generator Optional
Generation Assemblies
04 50 10 20 Battery Equipment
04 50 10 30 Photovoltaic Collectors
04 50 10 40 Fuel Cells
04 50 10 60 Power Filtering and
Conditioning
04 50 10 70 Transfer Switches

City of Vancouver Page B-10 of B-16

Embodied Carbon Guidelines – Appendix B October 2023
 UniFormat OmniClass Inclusion
Level 3 Level 3 Level 4 in Scope
04 50 10 90 Facility Power Generation
Supplementary Components
04 50 20 Electrical Service and 04 50 20 10 Electrical Service Optional
D5020 Distribution 04 50 20 30 Power Distribution
04 50 20 70 Facility Grounding
04 50 20 90 Electrical Service and
Distribution Supplementary
Components
D5030 04 50 30 General Purpose 04 50 30 10 Branch Wiring System Optional
Electrical Power 04 50 30 50 Wiring Devices
04 50 30 90 General Purpose Electrical
Power Supplementary
Components
D5040 04 50 40 Lighting 04 50 40 10 Lighting Control Optional
04 50 40 20 Branch Wiring for Lighting
04 50 40 50 Lighting Fixtures
04 50 40 90 Lighting Supplementary
Components
D5080 04 50 80 Miscellaneous Electrical 04 50 80 10 Lightning Protection Optional
Systems 04 50 80 10 Cathodic Protection
04 50 80 10 Transient Voltage Suppression
04 50 80 10 Miscellaneous Electrical
Systems Supplementary
Components
D60 04 60 Communications
D6010 04 60 10 Data Communications 04 60 10 10 Data Communications Network Optional
Equipment
04 60 10 20 Data Communications
Hardware
04 60 10 30 Data Communications
Peripheral Data Equipment
04 60 10 50 Data Communications Exclude
Software
04 60 10 60 Data Communication Program
and Integration Services
D6020 04 60 20 Voice Communications 04 60 20 10 Voice Communications Optional
Switching and Routing
Equipment
04 60 20 20 Voice Communications Terminal
Equipment
04 60 20 30 Voice Communications Exclude
Messaging
04 60 20 40 Call Accounting
04 60 20 50 Call Management
D6030 04 60 30 Audio-Video 04 60 310 10 Audio-Video Systems Optional
Communication 04 60 30 50 Electronic Digital Systems
D6060 04 60 60 Distributed 04 60 60 10 Distributed Audio-Video Exclude
Communications and Communications Systems
Monitoring 04 60 60 30 Healthcare Communications
and Monitoring
04 60 60 50 Distributed Systems
D6090 04 60 90 Communications 04 60 90 10 Supplementary Components Exclude
Supplementary
Components
D70 04 70 Electronic Safety and Security
D7010 04 70 10 Access Control and 04 70 10 10 Access Control Exclude
Intrusion Detection 04 70 10 50 Intrusion Detection
D7030 04 70 30 Electronic Surveillance 04 70 30 10 Video Surveillance Exclude
04 70 30 50 Electronic Personal Protection
D7050 04 70 50 Detection and Alarm 04 70 50 10 Fire Detection and Alarm Exclude
04 70 50 20 Radiation Detection and Alarm

City of Vancouver Page B-11 of B-16

Embodied Carbon Guidelines – Appendix B October 2023
 UniFormat OmniClass Inclusion
Level 3 Level 3 Level 4 in Scope
04 70 50 30 Fuel-Gas Detection and Alarm
04 70 50 40 Fuel-Oil Detection and Alarm
04 70 50 50 Refrigeration Detection and
Alarm
04 70 50 60 Water Intrusion Detection and
Alarm
D7070 04 70 70 Electronic Monitoring 04 70 70 10 Electronic Detention Exclude
and Control Monitoring and Control
D7090 04 70 90 Electronic Safety and 04 70 90 10 Supplementary Components Exclude
Security Supplementary
Components
D80 04 80 Integrated Automation
D8010 04 80 10 Integrated Automation 04 80 10 10 Integrated Automation Control Exclude
Facility Controls of Equipment
04 80 10 20 Integrated Automation Control
of Conveying Equipment
04 80 10 30 Integrated Automation Control
of Fire-Suppression Systems
04 80 10 40 Integrated Automation Control
of Plumbing Systems
04 80 10 50 Integrated Automation Control
of HVAC Systems
04 80 10 60 Integrated Automation Control
of Electrical Systems
04 80 10 70 Integrated Automation Control
of Communication Systems
04 80 10 80 Integrated Automation Control
of Electronic Safety and
Security Systems
E 05 00 00 Equipment and Furnishings
E10 05 10 Equipment
E1010 05 10 10 Vehicle and Pedestrian 05 10 10 10 Vehicle Servicing Equipment Exclude
Equipment 05 10 10 30 Interior Parking Control
Equipment
05 10 10 50 Loading Dock Equipment
05 10 10 70 Interior Pedestrian Control
Equipment
E1030 05 10 30 Commercial Equipment 05 10 30 10 Mercantile and Service Exclude
Equipment
05 10 30 20 Vault Equipment
05 10 30 25 Teller and Service Equipment
05 10 30 30 Refrigerated Display
Equipment
05 10 30 35 Commercial Laundry and Dry
Cleaning Equipment
05 10 30 40 Maintenance Equipment
05 10 30 50 Hospitality Equipment
05 10 30 55 Unit Kitchens
05 10 30 60 Photographic Processing
Equipment
05 10 30 70 Postal, Packaging, and
Shipping Equipment
05 10 30 75 Office Equipment
05 10 30 80 Foodservice Equipment
E1040 05 10 40 Institutional Equipment 05 10 40 10 Educational and Scientific Exclude
Equipment
05 10 40 20 Healthcare Equipment
05 10 40 40 Religious Equipment
05 10 40 60 Security Equipment
05 10 40 70 Detention Equipment
E1060 05 10 60 Residential Equipment 05 10 60 10 Residential Appliances Exclude

City of Vancouver Page B-12 of B-16

Embodied Carbon Guidelines – Appendix B October 2023
 UniFormat OmniClass Inclusion
Level 3 Level 3 Level 4 in Scope
05 10 60 50 Retractable Stairs
05 10 60 70 Residential Ceiling Fans
E1070 05 10 70 Entertainment and 05 10 70 10 Theater and Stage Equipment Exclude
Recreational Equipment 05 10 70 20 Musical Equipment
05 10 70 50 Athletic Equipment
05 10 70 60 Recreational Equipment
E1090 05 10 90 Other Equipment 05 10 90 10 Solid Waste Handling Exclude
Equipment
05 10 90 30 Agricultural Equipment
05 10 90 40 Horticultural Equipment
05 10 90 60 Decontamination Equipment
E20 05 20 Furnishings
E2010 05 20 10 Fixed Furnishings 05 20 10 10 Fixed Art Exclude
05 20 10 20 Window Treatments Optional
05 20 10 30 Casework
05 20 10 70 Fixed Multiple Seating
05 20 10 90 Other Fixed Furnishings
E2050 05 20 50 Movable Furnishings 05 20 50 10 Movable Art Exclude
05 20 50 30 Furniture Optional
05 20 50 40 Accessories
05 20 50 60 Movable Multiple Seating
05 20 50 90 Other Movable Furnishings
F 06 00 00 Special Construction and Demolition
F10 06 10 Special Construction
F1010 06 10 10 Integrated Construction 06 10 10 10 Building Modules Optional
06 10 10 50 Manufactured/Fabricated
Rooms
06 10 10 70 Modular Mezzanines
F1020 06 10 20 Special Structures 06 10 20 10 Fabric Structures Optional
06 10 20 20 Space Frames
06 10 20 30 Geodesic Structures
06 10 20 40 Manufacturer-Engineered
Structures
06 10 20 60 Manufactured Canopies
06 10 20 65 Rammed Earth Construction
06 10 20 70 Towers
F1030 06 10 30 Special Function 06 10 30 10 Sound and Vibration Control Optional
Construction 06 10 30 30 Seismic Control
06 10 30 50 Radiation Protection
F1050 06 10 50 Special Facility 06 10 50 10 Pools Optional
Components 06 10 50 20 Interior Fountains
06 10 50 30 Interior Water Features
06 10 50 40 Aquariums
06 10 50 50 Amusement Park Structures
and Equipment
06 10 50 60 Ice Rinks
06 10 50 70 Animal Containment
F1060 06 10 60 Athletic and 06 10 60 10 Indoor Soccer Boards Optional
Recreational Special 06 10 60 20 Safety Netting
Construction 06 10 60 30 Arena Football Boards
06 10 60 40 Floor Sockets
06 10 60 50 Athletic and Recreational Court
Walls
06 10 60 60 Demountable Athletic Surfaces
F1080 06 10 80 Special Instrumentation 06 10 80 10 Stress Instrumentation Exclude
06 10 80 20 Seismic Instrumentation
06 10 80 40 Meteorological Instrumentation
06 10 80 60 Earth Movement Monitoring

City of Vancouver Page B-13 of B-16

Embodied Carbon Guidelines – Appendix B October 2023
 UniFormat OmniClass Inclusion
Level 3 Level 3 Level 4 in Scope
F20 06 20 Facility Remediation
F2010 06 20 10 Hazardous Materials 06 20 10 10 Transportation and Disposal of Exclude
Remediation Hazardous Materials
06 20 10 20 Asbestos Remediation
06 20 10 30 Lead Remediation
06 20 10 40 Polychlorinate Biphenyl
Remediation
06 20 10 50 Mold Remediation
F30 06 30 Demolition
F3010 06 30 10 Structure Demolition 06 30 10 10 Building Demolition Exclude
06 30 10 30 Tower Demolition
06 30 10 50 Bridge Demolition
06 30 10 70 Dam Demolition
F3030 06 30 30 Selective Demolition 06 30 30 10 Selective Building Demolition Exclude
06 30 30 30 Selective Interior Demolition
06 30 30 50 Selective Bridge Demolition
06 30 30 70 Selective Historic Demolition
F3050 06 30 50 Structure Moving 06 30 50 10 Structure Relocation Exclude
06 30 50 30 Structure Raising
G 07 00 00 Sitework
G10 07 10 Site Preparation
G1010 07 10 10 Site Clearing 07 10 10 10 Clearing and Grubbing Exclude
07 10 10 30 Tree and Shrub Removal and
Trimming
07 10 10 50 Earth Stripping and Stockpiling
G1020 07 10 20 Site Elements 07 10 20 10 Utility Demolition
Demolition 07 10 20 30 Infrastructure Demolition Exclude
07 10 20 50 Selective Site Demolition
G1030 07 10 30 Site Element Relocations 07 10 30 10 Utility Relocation Exclude
G1050 07 10 50 Site Remediation 07 10 50 10 Physical Decontamination Exclude
07 10 50 15 Chemical Decontamination
07 10 50 20 Thermal Decontamination
07 10 50 25 Biological Decontamination
07 10 50 30 Remediation Soil Stabilization
07 10 50 40 Site Containment
07 10 50 45 Sinkhole Remediation
07 10 50 50 Hazardous Waste Drum
Handling
07 10 50 60 Contaminated Site Material
Removal
07 10 50 80 Water Remediation
G1070 07 10 70 Site Earthwork 07 10 70 10 Grading Optional
07 10 70 20 Excavation and Fill
07 10 70 30 Soil Reinforcement
07 10 70 35 Slope Protection
07 10 70 40 Gabions
07 10 70 45 Riprap
07 10 70 50 Embankments
07 10 70 55 Erosion and Sedimentation
Controls
07 10 70 60 Soil Stabilization
07 10 70 65 Rock Stabilization
07 10 70 70 Wetlands
07 10 70 80 Earth Dams
07 10 70 90 Site Soil Treatment
G20 07 20 Site Improvements
G2010 07 20 10 Roadways 07 20 10 10 Roadway Pavement Optional
07 20 10 20 Roadway Curbs and Gutters
07 20 10 40 Roadway Appurtenances
07 20 10 70 Roadway Lighting

City of Vancouver Page B-14 of B-16

Embodied Carbon Guidelines – Appendix B October 2023
 UniFormat OmniClass Inclusion
Level 3 Level 3 Level 4 in Scope
07 20 10 80 Vehicle Fare Collection
G2020 07 20 20 Parking Lots 07 20 20 10 Parking Lot Pavement Optional
07 20 20 20 Parking Lot Curbs and Gutters
07 20 20 40 Parking Lot Appurtenances
07 20 20 70 Parking Lot Lighting
07 20 20 80 Exterior Parking Control
Equipment
G2030 07 20 30 Pedestrian Plazas and 07 20 30 10 Pedestrian Pavement Optional
Walkways 07 20 30 20 Pedestrian Pavement Curbs
and Gutters
07 20 30 30 Exterior Steps and Ramps
07 20 30 40 Pedestrian Pavement
Appurtenances
07 20 30 70 Plaza and Walkway Lighting
07 20 30 80 Exterior Pedestrian Control
Equipment
G2040 07 20 40 Airfields 07 20 40 10 Aviation Pavement Optional
07 20 40 20 Aviation Pavement Curbs and
Gutters
07 20 40 40 Aviation Pavement
Appurtenances
07 20 40 70 Airfield Lighting
07 20 40 80 Airfield Signaling and Control
Equipment
G2050 07 20 50 Athletic, Recreational, 07 20 50 10 Athletic Areas Optional
and Playfield Areas 07 20 50 30 Recreational Areas
07 20 50 50 Playfield Areas
G2060 07 20 60 Site Development 07 20 60 10 Exterior Fountains Optional
07 20 60 20 Fences and Gates
07 20 60 25 Site Furnishings
07 20 60 30 Exterior Signage
07 20 60 35 Flagpoles
07 20 60 40 Covers and Shelters
07 20 60 45 Exterior Gas Lighting
07 20 60 50 Site Equipment
07 20 60 60 Retaining Walls
07 20 60 70 Site Bridges
07 20 60 80 Site Screening Devices
07 20 60 85 Site Specialties
G2080 07 20 80 Landscaping 07 20 80 10 Planting Irrigation Optional
07 20 80 20 Turf and Grasses
07 20 80 30 Plants
07 20 80 50 Planting Accessories
07 20 80 70 Landscape Lighting
07 20 80 80 Landscaping Activities
G30 07 30 Liquid and Gas Site Utilities
G3010 07 30 10 Water Utilities 07 30 10 10 Site Domestic Water Optional
Distribution
07 30 10 30 Site Fire Protection Water
Distribution
07 30 10 50 Site Irrigation Water
Distribution
G3020 07 30 20 Sanitary Sewerage 07 30 20 10 Sanitary Sewerage Utility Optional
Utilities Connection
07 30 20 20 Sanitary Sewerage Piping
07 30 20 40 Utility Septic Tanks
07 30 20 50 Sanitary Sewerage Structures
07 30 20 60 Sanitary Sewerage Lagoons
G3030 07 30 30 Storm Drainage Utilities 07 30 30 10 Storm Drainage Utility Optional
Connection
07 30 30 20 Storm Drainage Piping

City of Vancouver Page B-15 of B-16

Embodied Carbon Guidelines – Appendix B October 2023
 UniFormat OmniClass Inclusion
Level 3 Level 3 Level 4 in Scope
07 30 30 30 Culverts
07 30 30 40 Site Storm Water Drains
07 30 30 50 Storm Drainage Pumps
07 30 30 60 Site Sub-drainage
07 30 30 70 Storm Drainage Ponds and
Reservoirs
G3050 07 30 50 Site Energy Distribution 07 30 50 10 Site Hydronic Heating Optional
Distribution
07 30 50 20 Site Steam Energy Distribution
07 30 50 40 Site Hydronic Cooling
Distribution
G3060 07 30 60 Site Fuel Distribution 07 30 60 10 Site Gas Distribution Optional
07 30 60 20 Site Fuel-Oil Distribution
07 30 60 30 Site Gasoline Distribution
07 30 60 40 Site Diesel Fuel Distribution
07 30 60 60 Site Aviation Fuel Distribution
G3090 07 30 90 Liquid and Gas Site 07 30 90 10 Supplementary Components Optional
Utilities Supplementary
Components
G40 07 40 Electrical Site Improvements
G4010 07 40 10 Site Electric Distribution 07 40 10 10 Electrical Utility Services Optional
Systems 07 40 10 20 Electric Transmission and
Distribution
07 40 10 30 Electrical Substations
07 40 10 40 Electrical Transformers
07 40 10 50 Electrical Switchgear and
Protection Devices
07 40 10 70 Site Grounding
07 40 10 90 Electrical Distribution System
Instrumentation and Controls
G4010 07 40 50 Site Lighting 07 40 50 10 Area Lighting Optional
07 40 50 20 Flood Lighting
07 40 50 50 Building Illumination
07 40 50 90 Exterior Lighting
Supplementary Components
G50 07 50 Site Communications
G5010 07 50 10 Site Communications 07 50 10 10 Site Communications Optional
Systems Structures
07 50 10 30 Site Communications
Distribution
07 50 10 50 Wireless Communications
Distribution
G90 07 90 Miscellaneous Site Construction
G9010 07 90 10 Tunnels 07 90 10 10 Vehicular Tunnels Optional
07 90 10 20 Pedestrian Tunnels
07 90 10 40 Service Tunnels
07 90 10 90 Tunnel Construction Related
Activities

City of Vancouver Page B-16 of B-16

Embodied Carbon Guidelines – Appendix B October 2023
Appendix C: Additional Information on Quantifying Embodied Carbon

C.1 Lifespan of Elements and Products

Table 6: Average lifespans for Elements and Products

(Sources: Recommended Guidelines for Building Component Lifespans in Whole Building Life Cycle
Assessment55, Carbon Leadership Forum, 2018; Instructions for Performing a Multifamily Property
Condition Assessment56, Fannie Mae, 2019; Preventive Maintenance Guidebook: Best Practices to Maintain
Efficient and Sustainable Buildings57, BOMA, 2010)

Building Element Sub-element / Product Service Life (Years) *

Structure - Life of the Building
Roofing Asphalt, Shingles 20
Built-up Roof 20
Wood Shingles 25
Metal 40
Slate, Clay, and Concrete Tile Life of the Roofing
Internal Non-load-bearing Walls Partitioning and Gypsum Board 30
Interior Wall Finishes Vinyl 10
Wallpaper 4
Epoxy 15
Fabric 5
Wood 15
Paint 10
Floor Finishes Carpet – Commercial Buildings and Common 5
Area in All Other Buildings
Carpet – Residential Units 10

Vinyl 12

Wood (Parquet and Strip) 30

Stone and Ceramic 50

Epoxy Coating (for concrete and wood 10

flooring)
Ceiling Finishes Paint 10
Acoustic tile (Drop Ceiling) 10

55
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56
[Link]
57
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City of Vancouver Page C-1 of C-2

Embodied Carbon Guidelines – Appendix C October 2023
 Building Element Sub-element / Product Service Life (Years) *
Plaster or Gypsum Board with Skim Coat 30
Metal 25
Wood 30
Epoxy Coating (for concrete and wood 10
ceiling)
Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment - 10

Envelope, Cladding, Exterior Wall Paint 5-10

Finishes
Wood Shingle, Clapboard, Stucco, and 20
Composite Wood
Exterior Insulation Finishing Systems (EIFS) 20

Vinyl siding 25

Glazed and Metal Curtain Wall 40

Aluminum Siding 40

Precast Concrete Panel 45

Cement-board / Cementitious Siding 45

Stone Veneer 50

Stucco Systems Life of the Envelope

Brick, Block, and Stone Life of the Building

Exterior Windows and Doors - 30

Mechanical, Electrical, and Water Heating Source 20

Plumbing and Services
Space Heating and Air Treatment 20

Ductwork 20

Electrical Installations 30

Lighting Fittings 15

Communications Installations and Controls 15

Plumbing 25

Lifts and Conveyors 20

* For elements and products where the references vary, the lower-end value is used.

More detailed breakdown of elements service life for multi-unit residential buildings can be found in Instructions for
Performing a Multifamily Property Condition Assessment, Fannie Mae, 2019 and for commercial buildings in
Preventive Maintenance Guidebook: Best Practices to Maintain Efficient and Sustainable Buildings , BOMA, 2010.

City of Vancouver Page C-2 of C-2

Embodied Carbon Guidelines – Appendix C October 2023