resources
EMISSIONS OMISSIONS: Carbon accounting gaps in the built environment 
Click here to view IISD Executive Summary and Full Report
      

   
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This landmark study identified serious gaps in how carbon emissions from building materials are currently accounted for – gaps that may be undercutting today’s climate change efforts and shortchanging future emission reduction opportunities.

Among its conclusions, the study found that up to 72% of carbon emissions from wood products may not be accounted for in commercial Life-cycle Assessments (LCA). When these emissions are taken into account, concrete’s embodied carbon footprint could be up to 6% less intensive than that of wood products, challenging the assumption that wood materials are inherently less carbon intensive than steel or concrete.

LOGGING SCARS,Wildland League, December 2019,

Further evidence about the hidden carbon footprint of wood was released by Toronto- based Wildlands League. Titled “Logging Scars,” the research found that the wood industry’s reforestation efforts are significantly less successful than assumed.

BOREAL LOGGING SCARS MAP, Wildlands League, July 2020

Other Sources and References: 

Resources on concrete carbonation 


pdfRECOMMENDED GUIDELINE FOR ENVIRONMNTAL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL

Please feel free to ultilize these publications for your own use. High resolution (print quality) artwork is available by calling the ACA Office. 
Business PromoV3    ConcreteVSWoodV3    Environment Promo PageV3    Safety PromoV3    Fire PromoV3    One Page Promo V2

CARBON SEQUESTRATION IN WOOD BUILDING PRODUCTS, 
PRESENTATION BY BRENT McGRATH
Watch Presentation

RESILIENCE: ADAPTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE - DR. BLAIR FELTMATE
Watch Presentation

CCEPA: HISTORY OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT - DR. BLAIR FELTMATE  

Watch Presentation  

CatIQ's CATASTROPHE CONFERENCE - DR. BLAIR FELTMATE
Watch Presentation

CONCRETE MIXER DRIVER RECRUITMENT VIDEO
Watch Short Video

Watch Long Video

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A READY MIX DRIVER
Watch Short Video

Watch Long Video

NEW - CPCI ENERGY GUIDE
pdfRead the Guide

ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT DECLARATION DOCUMENT - for the Canadian Ready-Mixed Industry 
Download the EPD document

STUDY OF INSURANCE COSTS FOR MID-RISE WOOD FRAME AND CONCRETE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS

pdf
Read the Summary
pdfRead the full report

STUDY OF INSURANCE COSTS FOR MID-RISE WOOD FRAME AND CONCRETE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS

pdfRead the Executive Summary
pdfRead the full Report

 


NOTICE OF CHANGE FOR PLANT CERTIFICATION CSA STANDARD A23.1-14 - APRIL, 2016
Delivery Ticket Requirements 
pdfmem_aca_changes_a231_deliveryslip_201604191.pdf

CONCRETE EXPOSURE CLASSES
pdf
Download the report

SLAB SURFACE PREVENTION REPAIR
pdf
Download the report

SUSTAINABILITY, WOOD AND THE ENVIRONMENT
pdf
Download the report

CANADIAN CEMENT INDUSTRY SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
pdfENGLISH_FINAL_2010_SD_Report_Mar17.pdf

MATERIAL SELECTION MATTERS SEMINAR – PRESENTED BY JOHN STRAUBE, PHD., P.ENG., RDH BUILDING SCIENCE LABORATORIES

This seminar presentation provides up-to-date building science information about material selection and how to apply building science principles to construct resilient, durable, energy efficient and healthy buildings.
View the presentation…

 


LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF CONTRMPRA (PORTLAND-LIMESTONE CEMENT) AND REGULAR CEMENT

 

AN ENVIRONMENTAL LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF PORTLAND-LIMESTONE AND ORDINARY PORTLAND CEMENTS IN CONCRETE
A cradle-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment study of both Portland-limestone cement and ordinary Portland cement released by Athena Sustainable Materials Institute in 2014 demonstrates that Portland-limestone cement has lower impacts in all indicators and is about 10% better in greenhouse gas emissions.
pdfRead the technical brief

 


CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION & INFRASTRUCTURE
CAC OPED ON FACING THE CHALLENGE OF ADAPTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN CANADA


pdfRead the Study

 


LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT (LCA) – BUILDINGS
AN ENVIRONMENTAL LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF PORTLAND-LIMESTONE AND ORDINARY PORTLAND CEMENTS IN CONCRETE
A cradle-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment study of both Portland-limestone cement and ordinary Portland cement released by Athena Sustainable Materials Institute in 2014 demonstrates that Portland-limestone cement has lower impacts in all indicators and is about 10% better in greenhouse gas emissions.
pdfRead the technical brief

ATHENA INSTITUTE OFFERS NEW GUIDE TO LCA CREDITS IN GREEN BUILDING PROGRAMS
pdfRead the guide
pdfRead the report

DETAILED COST ANALYSIS BETWEEN WOOD AND CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION  
pdf
Read Report.pdf

LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF PRECAST CONCRETE COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS

Athena Sustainable Institute, Morrison Hershfield, Venta, Glaser & Associates, CPCI
pdfRead the report

 


LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE DESIGN OF PRECAST CONCRETE COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS IN CANADA
Athena Sustainable Institute, Morrison Hershfield, CPCI
pdfRead the report

 


LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT (LCA) OF BUILDINGS
Concrete Sustainability Hub | Massachusetts Institute of Technology
pdfRead the Report

 


MIT CONCRETE SUSTAINABILITY HUB
pdfVisit the Concrete Sustainability Hub

 


LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT (LCA) - PAVEMENTS
ATHENA SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS INSTITUTE RELEASES UPDATE TO ITS PAVEMENT LCA TOOL WITH A NEW NAME AND MANY NEW FEATURES
The North American pioneer in construction sector LCA today released Version 2.1 of ‘Pavement LCA’, formerly known as the Impact Estimator for Highways, with a variety of new features including US locations and sample projects.  
pdfRead more and access the software

 


ATHENA SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS INSTITUTE IMPACT ESTIMATOR FOR HIGHWAYS - VERSION 2.0
The Athena Sustainable Materials Institute Impact Estimator for Highways provides quick and easy Life Cycle Assessment results for Canadian roadways.
pdfRead more and access the software
 
EQUIVALENT PAVEMENT STRUCTURAL DESIGN MATRIX AND LCCA FOR MUNICIPAL ROADWAYS
Updated reports for municipal roadways are now available:
•    Nova Scotia 2013 (updated 2015)
•    Ontario 2011 (updated 2015)
•    Quebec 2012 (updated 2015)
•    Alberta 2015
•    British Columbia 2016

 


LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT (LCA) OF HIGHWAY PAVEMENTS
Concrete Sustainability Hub | Massachusetts Institute of Technology
pdfRead the Report

 


ATHENA SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS INSTITUTE - A LIFE CYCLE PERSPECTIVE ON CONCRETE AND ASPHALT ROADWAYS: EMBODIED PRIMARY ENERGY AND GLOBAL WARMING POTENTIAL


pdfRead the Report

 


MIT CONCRETE SUSTAINABILITY HUB
pdfVisit the Concrete Sustainability Hub

 


NATIONAL CONCRETE PAVEMENT TECHNOLOGY CENTER
Visit the National Concrete Pavement Technology Center

 


MANUFACTURING PROCESS RESEARCH

 


ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCES IN CEMENT MANUFACTURING – A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE BODY OF KNOWLEDGE
Network for Business Sustainability, 2011
pdfRead the Report

THE CEMENT SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE 2012 REPORT
World Business Council for Sustainable Development
In 2002, the founding members of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s Cement Sustainability Initiative (CSI) published their Agenda for Action. It sets out a program of work, focusing on certain specific areas. In each area, there are two kinds of action: joint projects, on which a group of companies will work together to tackle a specific environmental or social issue; and individual actions, which will be implemented by each company in its own operations (including target setting and performance reporting), applying both innovation and best practice.

This Progress Report provides a snapshot of CSI’s achievements over the past ten years, as well as an outlook onto the future issues the cement industry will need to tackle, how the CSI and its member companies are planning to respond to changing and new sustainability challenges.
pdfRead the Report