About this programme
As Aotearoa New Zealand transitions to zero-carbon emissions by 2050, the building system needs to have accurate and reliable methods of calculating estimated future emissions for new and existing building stock. Dynamic LCA (life cycle assessment) is a new method of accounting for carbon emissions and storage over time. Conventional methods usually quantify all carbon emissions as being released initially rather than being stored as carbon dioxide or methane over many years - meaning the results can be inaccurate or incomplete. This study will be the first time that a dynamic LCA approach has been applied to Aotearoa New Zealand construction materials. It is led by Te Kunenga ki P?rehuroa | Massey University and co-funded by H?kina Whakatutuki | Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment with contributing research from Scion, BRANZ, Aalborg University in Denmark and École de Technologie Supérieure in Montréal. This research applies the dynamic LCA method to two constructions. It will examine walls, ground floors and roof elements used in residential buildings with materials including timber, engineered wood, concrete and steel. These will be modelled over different stages of a building’s life cycle, including operation and dismantling, to understand the potential contribution of carbon storage and timing of carbon emissions. The researchers will compare the results using dynamic LCA with results from conventional methodological approaches. Using these findings, they will make recommendations on the preferred method to account for carbon storage and mitigate the carbon footprint of Aotearoa New Zealand’s residential buildings.