Ep. 13. 12 Minutes on Extreme Carbon Reduction: A Case Study

In this episode, host Amy Hattan talks with Meghan Kalisz, a consultant in Thornton Tomasetti’s Sustainability and Resilience practice, about achieving high levels of embodied carbon reduction in building design. Meghan shares her expertise in life cycle assessment (LCA) and discusses best practices for achieving ambitious embodied-carbon reduction targets. She explains how a rigorous certification programs like Living Building Challenge (LBC) CORE encourages reductions in embodied carbon, with specific targets for building materials such as structural frames and enclosures. Meghan also highlights the use of mass timber and cement replacements, and emphasizes the challenges and solutions involved in reducing embodied carbon, from transportation emissions to insulation choices. The conversation explores how meeting ambitious targets requires receptive clients and partners and looking at every angle for a multi-pronged solution.