Operational carbon

The greenhouse gas emissions associated with producing a material or product, covering raw material extraction, processing, manufacture and transport, and in whole-building assessments also construction, maintenance and end-of-life stages. It is expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent and is commonly reported through environmental product declarations.

The sum of embodied and operational carbon over the full life cycle of a building or asset, from raw material extraction through use to demolition and disposal. In the UK it is commonly assessed using RICS whole life carbon guidance, which aligns with the framework of EN 15978.

The total greenhouse gas emissions caused directly and indirectly by a product, organisation, activity or service, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent. Product carbon footprints are normally calculated using life cycle assessment methods over a defined system boundary.

A standardised method, set out in ISO 14040 and ISO 14044, for quantifying the environmental impacts of a product or system across its life, from raw material extraction through manufacture and use to end-of-life. LCA results underpin environmental product declarations and embodied carbon calculations used in material selection.