NABERS Embodied Carbon Knowledge Hub
A NABERS Embodied Carbon Report helps measure the upfront carbon associated with an eligible building project. This includes emissions linked to construction materials, transport and construction activity before the building begins operating.
Embodied carbon is different from operational carbon. Operational carbon relates to the energy and emissions created while a building is in use. Embodied carbon relates to the emissions already carried in the materials, products and construction processes used to create, extend or substantially alter the building.
As commercial buildings become more efficient in operation, upfront embodied carbon is becoming a more important part of whole-building emissions performance. NABERS Embodied Carbon gives project teams a recognised framework for understanding and comparing this part of the building lifecycle.
It measures upfront embodied carbon from materials, transport and construction activity associated with an eligible building project.
As operational energy improves, embodied carbon becomes a more visible part of whole-building emissions performance.
It can support design decisions, carbon reporting, commercial asset planning and future building-performance disclosure.
Knowledge Navigation
This Knowledge Hub is structured to help project teams understand how NABERS Embodied Carbon connects to upfront carbon, embodied emissions, operational performance, lifecycle assessment and commercial building transition.
What is a NABERS Embodied Carbon Report?
Who needs an embodied carbon assessment?
What does NABERS Embodied Carbon measure?
How is NABERS Embodied Carbon assessed?
Embodied carbon vs operational carbon
Whole-building emissions performance
Commercial building transition
Related Certified Energy resources: NABERS · NABERS Strategic · Life Cycle Assessment · ISCA
Project Relevance
A NABERS Embodied Carbon assessment may be relevant where upfront carbon needs to be measured, benchmarked or reported under a recognised Australian framework. It is most commonly considered for eligible new buildings, partial rebuilds and major commercial projects where materials, construction impacts and future asset performance are part of the project brief.
New Buildings
New buildings may use NABERS Embodied Carbon to understand upfront material, transport and construction emissions before operation begins.
Rebuilds
Partial rebuilds may require embodied carbon review where significant new structure, façade, services or building fabric is introduced.
Asset Strategy
Asset owners may use embodied carbon information to support disclosure, transition planning and future building-performance strategy.
Developers, asset owners, architects, ESD consultants, quantity surveyors, builders and design teams may all be involved in preparing the information needed for an embodied carbon assessment.
NSW Planning Requirements
In NSW, embodied emissions reporting may be required under the Sustainable Buildings SEPP for certain non-residential developments. This is separate from a NABERS Embodied Carbon rating, although both relate to measuring and reporting upfront building emissions.
New Buildings
The NSW non-residential requirements may apply to the erection of a new building where the estimated development cost is $5 million or more.
Existing Buildings
Alterations, enlargements or extensions to an existing building may be captured where the estimated development cost is $10 million or more.
Project teams should confirm whether the development needs an embodied emissions statement, a NABERS Embodied Carbon assessment, an LCA pathway or another form of carbon reporting before relying on a single compliance pathway.
Upfront Carbon Scope
NABERS Embodied Carbon focuses on upfront embodied carbon. This means the emissions associated with creating the building before it begins operating, including material production, transport to site and construction activity.
Materials
The assessment considers the carbon associated with building materials, products and systems used within the project.
Transport
Transport assumptions help account for the movement of products and materials before they arrive at the construction site.
Construction
Construction activity, site processes and project assumptions contribute to the overall upfront carbon profile.
Structural systems, façade elements, concrete, steel, aluminium, glass, insulation, plasterboard, services components and other material inputs can all influence the final embodied carbon outcome. The quality of the result depends on material quantities, specifications, EPDs, emission factors, design documentation and construction assumptions.
Carbon Performance
Embodied carbon and operational carbon describe two different parts of a building’s emissions profile. Embodied carbon is associated with the materials, products, transport and construction activity required to create or significantly alter a building. Operational carbon is associated with the energy and emissions created while the building is occupied and in use.
For many commercial buildings, operational performance has traditionally been the more visible part of building emissions. NABERS Energy ratings, metering, building tuning, electrification, HVAC efficiency and renewable energy strategies all help asset teams understand and improve how a building performs over time.
Embodied carbon adds a different layer. It asks how much carbon has already been invested in the physical building before operation begins. As operational energy performance improves, this upfront carbon becomes a more important part of whole-building emissions performance and commercial asset transition.
Embodied carbon is linked to the physical creation of the building. It includes emissions connected to materials, products, transport, construction activity and major building fabric decisions.
Operational carbon is linked to how the building performs in use. It is influenced by energy consumption, building services, controls, metering, occupancy patterns and energy sources.
For operational performance pathways, see our NABERS Knowledge Hub and NABERS Strategic resource.
Whole-Building Performance
Whole-building emissions performance brings embodied carbon and operational carbon into the same conversation. It considers the carbon associated with creating the building, as well as the emissions produced while the building is occupied, serviced, maintained and used over time.
This is useful because a commercial building can perform well in operation while still carrying a significant upfront carbon impact. Another building may retain more existing fabric, but require careful operational upgrades to improve comfort, energy use and long-term performance.
Upfront Impact
Embodied carbon shows the emissions already present before operation begins, including materials, transport and construction activity.
Operational Use
Operational performance reflects how the building uses energy, services, controls and systems across its life in use.
Transition Planning
Whole-building carbon thinking helps asset teams compare material decisions, upgrade pathways and future performance expectations.
The purpose is not to reduce a project to a single carbon figure. It is to help project teams understand the relationship between material decisions, construction pathways, building services, operational performance and future asset transition.
For broader lifecycle modelling, see our Life Cycle Assessment Knowledge Hub.
Carbon Context
Embodied emissions are created before a building is occupied. They are associated with the extraction, manufacture, transport and assembly of construction materials, as well as the construction activity required to bring the project into existence.
Unlike operational emissions, which can often be reduced over time through energy upgrades, electrification, better controls or renewable energy procurement, many embodied emissions are locked in once materials are selected and construction has occurred.
Before Operation
Embodied emissions occur before the building begins operating, through materials, transport and construction activity.
Locked-In Impact
Many embodied emissions become difficult to alter once materials are procured and the building has been constructed.
Early Decisions
Early assessment gives the project team more opportunity to compare options and understand material carbon impacts.
When project teams understand which materials and systems contribute most strongly to upfront carbon, they can make more informed design, procurement and reporting decisions before key choices are fixed.
Material Carbon Inputs
Embodied carbon is shaped by the physical inputs used to create a building. Structural systems, façade assemblies, concrete, steel, aluminium, glass, insulation, plasterboard, finishes and services components can all contribute to the upfront carbon profile of a commercial project.
The impact is not only determined by the amount of material used. Product selection, emission factors, Environmental Product Declarations, transport assumptions, construction methods and documentation quality can all influence the final embodied carbon result.
This is why embodied carbon assessment is most useful when it is considered early enough to inform design and procurement. When material quantities and specifications are still being refined, the project team has more opportunity to understand which elements are contributing most strongly to the upfront carbon outcome.
Quantities help define the scale of the carbon impact across structure, façade, services, finishes and other building elements.
Product-specific information, EPDs and recognised emission factors help refine the embodied carbon calculation.
Construction processes, site assumptions and transport pathways contribute to the upfront carbon profile before occupation.
For broader material impact analysis, see our Life Cycle Assessment Knowledge Hub.
Assessment Process
A NABERS Embodied Carbon assessment is prepared by reviewing project documentation, identifying relevant building elements and extracting the material quantities needed to calculate upfront embodied carbon.
Step 01
Drawings, schedules, specifications and project information are reviewed to understand the proposed building and assessment scope.
Step 02
Building elements are organised into relevant categories such as structure, envelope, internal walls, doors, services and external works.
Step 03
Material quantities and assumptions are entered into the assessment framework to calculate and report upfront embodied carbon.
The result depends on the quality of drawings, schedules, specifications, quantity information, product data, emission factors and project assumptions. Clearer documentation usually creates a more reliable embodied carbon assessment.
Carbon Data Quality
Embodied carbon assessment depends on the quality of the data used to describe building materials and products. Emission factors and Environmental Product Declarations, often called EPDs, help translate material quantities into carbon impacts that can be assessed, compared and reported.
An emission factor is a carbon value applied to a material, product or process. It allows the assessment to estimate the emissions associated with a given quantity of material. An EPD is a product-specific environmental declaration that provides more detailed information about the environmental impact of a product across defined life cycle stages.
In practice, project teams may use a combination of product-specific EPDs, recognised emission factor databases, project specifications and quantity information. The more specific and reliable the data, the more useful the embodied carbon assessment becomes for design decisions, reporting and future asset-performance conversations.
Emission factors help estimate carbon impacts when material quantities, product categories or construction assumptions need to be translated into emissions.
Environmental Product Declarations provide product-specific information that can improve the accuracy and transparency of embodied carbon reporting.
Specifications, schedules, quantities and design documentation help confirm which materials and systems are included in the assessment.
For related lifecycle reporting, see our Life Cycle Assessment Knowledge Hub.
Lifecycle Carbon Context
NABERS Embodied Carbon and Life Cycle Assessment are closely related, but they are not always the same thing. Both can help project teams understand the carbon and environmental impact of building materials, but they may be used for different reporting pathways, rating systems and project decisions.
A Life Cycle Assessment can examine environmental impacts across multiple life cycle stages and impact categories. Depending on the scope, an LCA may consider materials, construction, operation, maintenance, replacement and end-of-life impacts. It can also look beyond carbon to other environmental indicators.
A NABERS Embodied Carbon assessment applies the NABERS framework to eligible projects and focuses on upfront embodied carbon. It is designed to create a clearer, more comparable view of material, transport and construction emissions within the NABERS building-performance ecosystem.
Life Cycle Assessment can provide a broader view of environmental impacts across defined life cycle stages and categories.
Embodied carbon reporting focuses specifically on the carbon impact of materials, products, transport and construction activity.
NABERS Embodied Carbon gives eligible projects a recognised assessment pathway within the NABERS performance system.
For a broader explanation of lifecycle modelling, see our Life Cycle Assessment Knowledge Hub.
Asset Performance
Commercial building transition is no longer only about reducing operational energy use. It increasingly involves understanding how a building was created, how it performs in use, how it may be upgraded over time and how its emissions profile can be explained to tenants, investors, owners and project stakeholders.
NABERS Embodied Carbon adds an upfront carbon layer to this transition conversation. It helps project teams look at the carbon already carried in the building fabric, structure, façade, services components and construction process before future operational performance is considered.
For commercial asset owners, this can support a more complete view of building performance. Operational ratings, embodied carbon reporting, lifecycle assessment, design coordination and future upgrade planning all become part of the same long-term asset-performance pathway.
NABERS Energy and related performance systems help asset teams understand how buildings perform once occupied and operating.
NABERS Embodied Carbon helps identify the emissions associated with materials, transport and construction before operation begins.
A more complete emissions view can support refurbishment decisions, procurement strategy, disclosure pathways and long-term transition planning.
For portfolio-level operational planning, see our NABERS Strategic resource.
Project Coordination
Embodied carbon is shaped by decisions made across the design and construction process. It is influenced by structural systems, façade design, material specifications, product choices, procurement pathways, services components, documentation quality and construction assumptions.
This means embodied carbon reporting works best when it is coordinated early enough to inform project decisions. If the assessment is only treated as an end-stage reporting exercise, the project team may have fewer opportunities to refine material selections, compare options or understand where the largest carbon impacts are occurring.
Architects, ESD consultants, quantity surveyors, structural engineers, façade consultants, services engineers, builders and asset owners may all hold information that affects the embodied carbon outcome. A clear coordination process helps bring these inputs together so the assessment can support both reporting and better building-performance decisions.
Drawings, schedules, specifications and material selections help define what is included in the embodied carbon assessment.
Quantity information helps identify the scale of carbon impact across structure, façade, finishes, services and other building elements.
Early coordination gives the project team more room to compare options before material, structural or procurement decisions are fixed.
For broader ESD coordination across commercial projects, see our Commercial ESD Consulting resources.
Future Emissions Performance
Building emissions are becoming more visible, more measurable and more connected to long-term asset performance. Operational energy has already moved into a mature measurement environment through NABERS Energy and other performance systems. Embodied carbon is now becoming part of the same wider building-performance conversation.
This shift does not mean every project needs the same level of carbon analysis. It does mean that developers, design teams, consultants and asset owners increasingly need to understand how upfront carbon, operational performance and lifecycle emissions relate to one another.
NABERS Embodied Carbon gives eligible projects a clearer way to describe the carbon impact of materials, transport and construction activity. Over time, this type of reporting may become increasingly important for commercial asset positioning, procurement strategy, design accountability and future disclosure pathways.
More building systems are moving toward measurable, comparable and evidence-based emissions performance.
Clearer carbon reporting can help project teams explain material decisions, construction impacts and performance pathways.
Future-ready assets will need to connect upfront carbon, operational energy, lifecycle planning and commercial performance.
Continue exploring related systems through NABERS, NABERS Strategic and Life Cycle Assessment.
Project Timing
The cost of an embodied carbon report or NABERS Embodied Carbon assessment will vary depending on the project size, building type, documentation quality, assessment scope and complexity of the materials being reviewed.
As a general guide, straightforward projects may often be completed within approximately 3–10 business days once sufficient documentation is available. Larger or more complex commercial projects may require additional time, especially where material schedules, quantities, specifications or product data need to be clarified.
For quoting, project teams should provide architectural drawings, relevant schedules, specifications and any available quantity or product information. A clearer documentation package usually allows the assessment pathway, cost and timing to be confirmed more efficiently.
Building type, scale, assessment pathway and project complexity all influence the amount of work required.
Clear drawings, schedules, specifications and quantity information can reduce uncertainty during assessment.
Timing is project-dependent, but many straightforward reports can be completed once the necessary information is available.
Frequently Asked Questions
A NABERS Embodied Carbon Report helps measure the upfront carbon associated with an eligible building project. It considers emissions linked to materials, transport and construction activity before the building begins operating.
No. Embodied carbon relates to the emissions associated with materials, products, transport and construction activity. Operational carbon relates to the emissions created while a building is occupied and in use, including energy consumption and building services performance.
NABERS Embodied Carbon focuses on upfront embodied carbon. This includes emissions connected to material production, transport to site and construction activity. Structural systems, façade elements, services components, finishes and other material inputs can all influence the final result.
It may be relevant for eligible new buildings, partial rebuilds, major commercial developments and projects where upfront carbon needs to be measured, benchmarked or reported under a recognised Australian framework. It is especially relevant for developers, asset owners, architects, ESD consultants, quantity surveyors, builders and design teams.
NABERS Embodied Carbon may be required or requested depending on the project brief, rating pathway, certification objective, client requirement, development context or reporting framework. Project teams should confirm the current requirements for their specific project before assuming whether the assessment is mandatory.
Life Cycle Assessment can examine environmental impacts across multiple life cycle stages and categories. NABERS Embodied Carbon is a specific NABERS assessment pathway focused on upfront embodied carbon for eligible projects. The two are closely related, but they are not always used for the same purpose.
Project information may include drawings, specifications, material schedules, quantity information, Environmental Product Declarations, product data, construction assumptions, façade and structural details, services information and relevant design documentation.
Embodied carbon is most useful when considered early enough to inform design and procurement decisions. Early assessment gives the project team more opportunity to compare material options, understand major carbon contributors and refine specifications before key decisions are fixed.
No. An Environmental Product Declaration, or EPD, provides product-specific environmental information. A NABERS Embodied Carbon assessment applies a project-level framework to assess upfront carbon across the eligible building project.
As operational energy performance improves, the carbon associated with materials and construction becomes more visible within whole-building emissions performance. This makes embodied carbon important for design coordination, commercial asset planning, reporting and future disclosure pathways.
Certified Energy can help review the project context, rating pathway, documentation requirements and broader building-performance objectives to clarify whether NABERS Embodied Carbon or a related embodied carbon reporting pathway may be suitable.
Related Knowledge
NABERS Embodied Carbon sits within a broader building-performance ecosystem. It connects naturally to operational NABERS ratings, Life Cycle Assessment, infrastructure sustainability, commercial energy compliance and future building emissions disclosure.
Explore how operational ratings, energy performance and ongoing building management sit beside embodied carbon reporting.
Understand broader lifecycle assessment, material impacts and whole-building carbon analysis beyond a single reporting pathway.
See how carbon, materials, resilience and performance expectations connect across infrastructure and rating frameworks.
Connect upfront carbon thinking with operational energy modelling, commercial compliance pathways and building-performance design.
Project Support
Certified Energy can assist project teams with embodied carbon reporting, NABERS-aligned assessment pathways and broader building-performance coordination for Australian commercial projects.
Whether your project needs early carbon guidance, lifecycle assessment support, operational performance strategy or clarification around NABERS Embodied Carbon requirements, we can help identify the most appropriate pathway.
Useful starting points: Discuss your project · Explore LCA · Explore NABERS
Last reviewed: June 2026. This page is maintained by Certified Energy as part of its Commercial Performance Knowledge Hub.
