Whole Life Carbon
Measuring Impact Beyond Operations
Whole Life Carbon Expertise
At SDS, we help clients make informed, data-driven decisions to reduce embodied carbon from the very start of a project. Using One Click LCA, we deliver detailed assessments covering materials, fabric, structure, and MEP systems—providing a clear roadmap to carbon savings.
We carry out cradle-to-grave assessments aligned with the RICS Whole Life Carbon Assessment methodology, ensuring a consistent and transparent approach across every stage of a building’s lifecycle.
By quantifying carbon from concept to completion, we enable future-proof choices that support net zero goals and create a more sustainable built environment.
Expert MEP carbon modelling
WLCA assessments must accurately capture embodied carbon from building services, not just fabric and structure. System generic EPDs based on floor area often misrepresent MEP design and ignore reductions from improved envelopes. Our approach models MEP systems in detail, ensuring all components are included and enabling us to quantify embodied carbon savings when plant sizes are reduced or eliminated. We focus first on optimising and minimising through low-energy design, then on selecting low-impact materials.
Circular Economy Design
At SDS, we help clients embed circular economy principles into their projects, ensuring resources are kept in use for as long as possible and waste is designed out from the start. Our approach prioritises reuse, repair, remanufacture, and recycling, alongside strategies for durable, adaptable design and future disassembly. By integrating these principles into material selection, construction methods, and lifecycle planning, we enable projects to reduce environmental impact, cut costs, and deliver buildings that support a truly sustainable future.
“SDS takes Whole Life Carbon Assessments further by integrating ultra-low energy design standards such as Passivhaus, through a fabric-first approach, we significantly reduce MEP embodied carbon while aligning with net zero operational carbon targets—delivering buildings that perform sustainably throughout their lifecycle”
Engineering the Path to Net Zero
Our sustainability specialists can guide you through every stage, from setting carbon targets and defining baselines to delivering full cradle-to-grave assessments.
We’ll help you understand where carbon impacts occur, identify practical reduction opportunities, and align your project with RICS, LETI, and UK Net Zero benchmarks. Whether you’re at concept design or retrofit stage, SDS provides clear, actionable advice to make informed, low-carbon decisions that stand up to scrutiny.
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Let’s build a more sustainable future together.
