EMBARC Study
Material evidence
EMBARC ("Emissions from Materials Benchmark Assessment of Residential Construction") is a first-of-its-kind study that documents the greenhouse gas emissions from building materials used to construct homes in the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area (GTHA).
Released in 2022 the EMBARC study examined data from over 500 single detached, semi-detached and town houses (part 9 - smaller buildings) built between 2017 and 2020 in the GTHA to provide decision makers – including policymakers, developers, home designers and builders, and homeowners - with insights about choices they can make to reduce GHG emissions in the homes they build, design and renovate.
The results of the study are substantial, revealing roughly 840,000 tonnes of carbon per year, equivalent to the emissions from more than 183,000 automobiles.
How to Get 1 Million Tonnes of Home Building Materials Emissions to Zero
This 10-minute summary video recaps the findings of the report, from high-level impacts across the region down to material replacement suggestions at the level of individual homes, showing how regulation of material emissions could bring about immediate reductions of 250,000 tonnes per year and could drive the sector to become carbon neutral in the next decade and carbon positive before 2050.
See the full 35 minute version of this video here.
The EMBARC study was conducted by Passive Buildings Canada and Builders for Climate Action with funding from The Atmospheric Fund.