A Study on the derivation of carbon neutrality rates in the production stage through the application of construction materials with environmental product declaration in South Korea

Abstract

Reducing carbon emissions in the building sector is essential for achieving global carbon neutrality. To this end, it is necessary to evaluate the carbon emissions of materials used in actual buildings throughout the building lifecycle, quantify the amount of carbon reduction relative to standards, and derive carbon neutrality rates for the building sector. In Korea, carbon emissions during the operation stage account for approximately 65% of total emissions, and certification systems for zero-energy buildings and step-by-step roadmaps have been established to reduce carbon emissions in the operation stage. However, carbon emissions in the production stage account for approximately 29% of total emissions and are the second-highest, yet there is a lack of standards and management for carbon reduction in the production stage in Korea. In addition, the carbon emissions of materials used in actual buildings are not applied because Korea’s Building LCA evaluates the carbon emissions in the production stage using data standardized by Korea’s national LCI DB. This study constructed a carbon emissions database for 417 environmentally friendly construction materials produced by companies and used in buildings to derive the carbon neutrality rate in the production stage and established a reference building according to the classification system. Based on this, the amount of carbon reduction was derived in comparison to Korea’s national LCI DB and the carbon neutrality rate, which is the ratio of carbon reduction to carbon emissions in the production stage. As a result, in the case of apartment houses, a maximum carbon reduction of 312 kgCO2-eq per unit area (m2) is possible, and the carbon neutrality rate in the production stage was 65.43%. For office facilities, a maximum carbon reduction of 327 kgCO2-eq per unit area (m2) is possible, and the carbon neutrality rate in the production stage was 69.22%. This study could potentially contribute to carbon neutrality in the building sector by deriving quantitative carbon neutrality rates, not only in the production stage but throughout the entire building process. © International Journal of Sustainable Building Technology and Urban Development.