Construction Stored Carbon
Transforming the built environment into a nature-based carbon sink
Latest News
Market for carbon storage launched
Climate Cleanup and biobased construction frontrunner Ballast Nedam Development signed a collaboration agreement for the carbon accounting of three development projects and launched the world’s first Construction Stored Carbon Credits. Pre-sale for carbon credits of the first project, ‘Natuurhuis’, starts in January 2024. The quantification, verification and certification of the carbon credits happens through Oncra.
Natuurhuis
‘Natuurhuis’ is a scalable, climate-positive and nature-inclusive housing concept made from biobased materials. An iconic step for Ballast Nedam Development, who will build eight ‘Nature Houses’ in Heeze, the Netherlands. This will serve as the first pilot project for the Construction Stored Carbon research initiative. All details shall soon be made available on Oncra, our platform for carbon accounting. To sign up for pre-purchasing of the world’s first Construction Stored Carbon credits, generated with Natuurhuis, contact us using the button below.
From Problem
Buildings are humanity’s largest creations. They last for decades, if not centuries. And their impact does not go unnoticed: the building and construction sector is responsible for 39% of CO2 emissions. We use 230 billion square metres of building space and another 65 billion could be added this decade. The materials we choose to build with will have an everlasting effect on generations to come.
To Solution
By using biobased materials, we can create a healthy, safe and nature-inclusive built environment that stores carbon reliably. The use of materials such as wood, bamboo, hemp, flax, typha, miscanthus, silphium, sorghum and mycelium in construction creates new nature-based value chains. If we ensure we accelerate this use regeneratively – prioritising ecosystem health and sustainable land management over maximum yield – biobased construction has the potential to store 1 gigaton of CO2 this century.
Our Interventions
We need to stop using polluting construction materials, and start using bio-based materials. To accelerate this transition towards a healthy, carbon-sink built environment, Climate Cleanup creates the conditions for the regenerative use of bio-based construction materials through systemic interventions.
Construction Stored Carbon Credits
As part of the Built by Nature & Good Energies construction-stored carbon monetisation initiative, Climate Cleanup and partners are developing a method to certify carbon storage in biobased construction materials and projects. Using this method, CSC-certificates can be issued and subsequently sold on the voluntary carbon market to generate transition finance for biobased construction.
Construction Stored Carbon metric
Together with ASN Bank and Gideon Building Transition Tribes, Climate Cleanup created a financial metric for carbon storage in the built environment. The metric works on a product, project and portfolio level. Complete with an extensive report, calculation tool, and 30+ calculated pioneering project cases, this intervention allows construction stakeholders to easily quantify their Construction Stored Carbon.
Bio-based comparison tool
With Holland Houtland, ASN Bank and the Province of South-Holland, we created an open and free to use web-app to compare the climate and other impacts of bio-based versus regular construction materials – all converted to numbers for the average Dutch house.
Join us!
Stay in the loop on our Construction Stored Carbon interventions and contribute!