August 31, 2021
Build Carbon-reduction Objectives
During the early stages of projects, and as an ongoing practice, setting and reinforcing targets can make for a smoother process and ensure better outcomes:
Rally the Team
Create opportunities to bring the entire team together early in the project or ask to be included in early team meetings where project goals are articulated.
Bring New Members up to Speed
On-board new team members or new employees with attention paid to sustainability goals and carbon targets. (Resource: MSR Design’s Materials Action Packet)
Set Goals and Targets
Pick a method to set goals for the project depending on your resources and the client’s own goals:
- Set five simple sustainability goals. Example: Avoid specifying plastics
- Aim to reduce carbon on the top 5 percent of all products by volume
- Identify the top tier of products by volume, and talk to clients about lowering embodied carbon on those
- Find out what CLF baselines are relevant to your products, then use EC3 to find products with lower GWP.
- Set a carbon budget for the entire project and make sure that Interiors have a percentage of the budget (alongside MEP and Core & Shell).
If you have feedback on the Climate Toolkit for Interior Design, write to: [email protected]