As the built environment races to meet net zero targets, the industry’s focus is shifting from operational energy use to embodied carbon — the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the materials and construction processes across a building’s lifecycle. While this shift marks essential progress, it also exposes major challenges in data quality, transparency, and standardisation that have held back consistent reporting and meaningful carbon reductions.
Embodied carbon accounts for around 11% of global CO₂ emissions, and typically represents 20–50% of a building’s total lifecycle carbon footprint. MEP products contribute to 27% of buildings embodied carbon emissions, which can double depend on the manufacturing process and building type. For highly efficient buildings, this share can be even higher. Yet despite its significance, embodied carbon reporting for MEP products remains inconsistent and often relies on generic datasets that do not reflect actual products.
To address these challenges, CIBSE Certification Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of CIBSE, has developed the Embodied Carbon Verification (ECV) scheme, based on the CIBSE TM65 methodology. The scheme provides a structured framework to verify embodied carbon data through clear methodologies, robust processes, and independent assessment. It integrates carbon considerations into the design process from the outset, enabling more accurate calculations and better-informed design decisions.
Now, CIBSE Certification is taking a major step forward by launching the first ever verified carbon data products register for MEP equipment. This ECV Register will bring together verified carbon data from manufacturers in a single, trusted source — giving designers, specifiers, and clients greater confidence in their embodied carbon assessments.
The register provides open access to verified data for a growing list of products. This new resource will make it easier for industry professionals to select low-carbon solutions, support project compliance, and drive market demand for transparent, high-quality data.
“Reliable embodied carbon data is essential if we are to make informed decisions that truly reduce the environmental impact of buildings. The ECV Register represents a significant leap forward for the industry” said Kieran O'Brien, Director of CIBSE Certification ltd.
View the new ECV Register HERE
Learn more about Embodied Carbon Verification HERE