Upfront Embodied Carbon Auditing Now Available

• The NABERS Embodied Carbon rating tool provides a nationally endorsed, consistent method to quantify a building’s upfront embodied carbon
• Upfront embodied carbon is the emissions from material production, transport, and construction before occupation
• This rating tool aligns with international standards and is expected to feed into other schemes such as Green Star, Climate Active, and even serve as a voluntary pathway under the 2025 National Construction Code (NCC) for commercial buildings

Managing and minimising operational carbon is only part of the solution for achieving a sustainable property sector. The other key task is to address the emissions involved in developing, maintaining and refurbishing buildings. 

Geronimo Advisory aims to help clients tackle this major emissions issue, and we are pleased to announce Principal Mathuran Marianayagam has attained NABERS Embodied Carbon Assessor accreditation. 

This equips Geronimo Advisory to help development teams, design teams and others with insight on the cradle-to-site emissions for building materials and products for many types of retail, commercial office, hotel, multi-residential, aged care, civic venue and education buildings. 

“The NABERS Embodied Carbon rating scheme helps create transparency around the off-site impact of design and delivery choices,” Marianayagam says.  

“As the energy grid decarbonises, the upfront carbon from materials and building supply chains will become the major constituent of an asset lifecycle carbon footprint, so having visibility of that impact is crucial. 

“I know from my work with clients on NABERS Energy assessments that ratings help improve practices and lead to better sustainability decision-making.” 

NABERS Embodied Carbon audits can be undertaken at both design and as-built stage, and the process of assessment may help identify where carbon can be reduced. 

“One of the factors in the embodied carbon calculations is transport to site. So, if a building wants to make a case for local procurement, the data from the carbon tool will show the emissions benefit of that decision,” Marianayagam explains. 

“Similarly, at design stage, whether it is a new build or a major redevelopment, the data in the carbon database can be used to test and refine the environmental consequences of both architectural and material decisions.”