Breakout: Carbon 101

Grasp the Terms

Over the years, scientists and advocates have developed a common language for talking about carbon in the built environment. Some terms are widely agreed upon, others can vary in different English-speaking countries:

Carbon Emissions

Refers to the carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere during any process or activity. Sometimes people use just “carbon” as shorthand.

Carbon & Energy

You might see these terms informally used as though they stand for each other. This is because most carbon emissions occur when we burn fuel for the energy required for a process or activity. While carbon and energy have a direct correlation, some energy sources produce more emissions than others. Renewable energy sources generate no or extremely low carbon emissions.

Operational Carbon 

Refers to the carbon emissions associated with the operation of buildings and interiors—broadly speaking, this is the energy used to “run” the interior. Some of it might be directly reflected in the utility bill, some of it is indirect (for example, the energy required to bring water to your faucet, or the gas that fuels your boilers.)

Embodied Carbon 

Refers to the carbon emissions associated with all the extraction, manufacturing, and transportation of all the materials used in a project, as well as the emissions associated with the construction, maintenance, and demolition of the project—think of it as all the carbon emitted to “make” a building or interiors. 


If you have feedback on the Climate Toolkit for Interior Design, write to: [email protected]