Australia’s First Carbon Planning Quantity Surveying Firm
As the construction industry moves toward net-zero targets and carbon reduction, embodied carbon has become a critical factor in sustainable development. While operational carbon—related to energy use in buildings—has been widely addressed, embodied carbon, which includes the emissions from material extraction, manufacturing, transportation, and construction, is still a major challenge.
Slattery, a leading Australian quantity surveying firm, is at the forefront of this transformation, pioneering Carbon Planning to help developers, architects, and contractors reduce upfront embodied carbon without compromising project feasibility.
Their Carbon Planning Methodology seamlessly integrates with traditional cost planning, allowing stakeholders to make informed design decisions while balancing capital costs, lifecycle costs, aesthetics, and environmental impact.
In this blog, we’ll break down Slattery’s embodied carbon methodology and explore why it matters for the future of construction.
Why Embodied Carbon Matters in Construction
The construction industry is responsible for nearly 40% of global carbon emissions, and with increasing government regulations and sustainability targets, understanding and reducing embodied carbon is becoming a necessity.
Unlike operational carbon, which can be reduced over time through energy-efficient designs and retrofits, embodied carbon is locked in at the point of construction. This means early-stage planning is critical in lowering a project’s total carbon footprint.
Slattery’s Carbon Planning Methodology offers a proactive approach to tackling this challenge, ensuring that sustainability and cost-efficiency go hand in hand.
Slattery’s Carbon Planning Methodology:
A Step-by-Step Breakdown
1️⃣ Early Carbon Budgeting: Setting the Foundations
One of the biggest challenges in reducing embodied carbon is the lack of clear benchmarks and targets during the early planning phase. Slattery solves this by establishing a carbon budget at the feasibility stage, much like a cost plan.
🔹 How it works: Slattery’s team draws from a database of real project benchmarks across multiple sectors—including commercial, residential, healthcare, community, and education—to set realistic carbon budgets for new developments.
🔹 Why it matters: Developers and project teams can make informed design decisions early, selecting low-carbon materials and processes before construction begins, when changes are most cost-effective.
(EPDs
🔹 Why it matters:
✅ Helps stakeholders compare materials objectively.
✅ Encourages suppliers to prioritize sustainability.
✅ Improves carbon accountability across the supply chain.
By integrating EPDs into cost and carbon planning, Slattery provides clients with a clear, data-backed approach to selecting low-carbon materials.
4️⃣ Process-Based Life Cycle Assessment (LCA):
Measuring Carbon at Every Stage
Slattery employs a Process Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology to quantify the environmental impact of materials from production to construction.
🔹 How it works: This approach focuses on Stages A1-A5 as defined by EN 15978, covering:
A1 – Material extraction & processing
A2 – Transport to the manufacturer
A3 – Manufacturing emissions
A4 – Transport to the construction site
A5 – Emissions during on-site construction
🔹 Why it matters: This end-to-end assessment helps identify high-impact areas, allowing teams to strategically reduce carbon at every phase—not just at the materials selection stage.
5️⃣ Benchmarking & Data Transparency: Creating Standardised Carbon Targets
The lack of consistent benchmarks has made it difficult for industry players to compare projects and measure progress. Slattery solves this by aligning their benchmarking data with:
✅ International sustainability standards
✅ NABERS Embodied Emissions Initiative
✅ Industry-leading reporting frameworks
🔹 How it works: By creating consistent, comparable, and replicable benchmarks, Slattery helps clients:
Set realistic, measurable carbon targets.
Track progress over multiple projects.
Align with global best practices.
🔹 Why it matters: Without accurate benchmarks, carbon reduction strategies remain guesswork. Slattery’s data-driven approach ensures transparency, accountability, and real impact.
Why This Matters for the Future of Construction
Slattery’s Carbon Planning Methodology represents a major shift in how construction projects approach sustainability.
🔹 Traditional approach: Sustainability decisions are often made too late in the process, leading to cost overruns and limited options.
🔹 Slattery’s approach: By integrating carbon planning with cost planning, projects can balance financial and environmental goals from the start.
With governments tightening regulations, investors prioritizing ESG metrics, and developers facing increasing pressure to deliver sustainable projects, the need for proactive, measurable carbon reduction strategies is more critical than ever.
Sustainability in Construction Starts with the Right People
The push for low-carbon, sustainable construction is no longer optional—it’s the future of the industry. Companies that fail to integrate carbon-conscious strategies risk falling behind, while those who embrace them will lead the next generation of infrastructure, commercial development, and renewable projects. But innovation doesn’t happen without the right talent to drive it forward.
At GEDON™, we specialise in connecting top construction, digital infrastructure, and sustainability professionals with forward-thinking companies.
Whether you’re a business looking for specialists in carbon planning, project controls, or sustainable design—or a professional seeking opportunities in this evolving sector, we’re here to help.
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FAQ:
What You Need to Know About Carbon Planning & Careers in Sustainable Construction
1️⃣ What is embodied carbon, and why is it important?
Embodied carbon refers to the emissions generated from materials, transportation, and construction processes before a building is operational. Since these emissions are locked in from day one, reducing them early is critical for achieving net-zero goals.
2️⃣ How does carbon planning impact hiring in the construction industry?
Companies now require specialists in carbon budgeting, lifecycle assessment, and sustainable materials to meet new environmental regulations and investor expectations. These skills are becoming highly sought after in construction, project controls, and commercial management.
3️⃣ What industries are leading the shift to sustainable construction?
Major sectors investing in low-carbon strategies include data centers, large-scale infrastructure, commercial developments, and renewable energy projects. These industries are creating high-value opportunities for professionals with expertise in sustainability.
4️⃣ What career opportunities are emerging in sustainable construction?
There is growing demand for roles such as:
✅ Carbon & Sustainability Consultants
✅ Project Controls Specialists with Carbon Expertise
✅ Commercial Managers Focused on Green Procurement
✅ Pre-Construction & Estimating Experts in Sustainable Materials
✅ Engineering & Design Professionals for Low-Carbon Solutions
Ready to Take the Next Step ?
At GEDON™, we help businesses find the right talent to lead sustainable construction projects and support professionals looking to break into this growing sector.
📩 Looking for experts—or your next career move? Let’s talk.
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