Reflections from Advancing Construction Decarbonization 2023: Building Partnerships That Drive Impact
/Last month, I had the privilege of presenting at the 2nd Annual Advancing Construction Decarbonization Conference in Denver. The event brought together sustainability leaders, project executives, and innovators to explore one central question: How can we accelerate carbon reductions in the construction phase, where it often matters most—but is least understood?
My session, "Driving Successful Partnerships With Trades, Suppliers, and Designers to Maximize Sustainability Efforts," focused on the practical, project-level strategies we’ve deployed at Clark Construction to turn carbon ambition into action.
Key Takeaways from My Talk:
Embodied Carbon Education: We’re prioritizing field- and trade-level engagement to define embodied carbon clearly and align carbon literacy with construction phase realities. Without a shared understanding, progress stalls at procurement.
Partnership as Progress: From low-carbon concrete mixes to anti-idling initiatives, we emphasized reframing sustainability as a value-add—not a burden. Contractors are often the bridge between spec and site. It’s time to use that position more deliberately.
Data Ecosystem Investments: We’ve built internal systems to capture embodied carbon and energy use at the jobsite level. These tools are helping us track Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), quantify material impacts, and support reporting frameworks like EC3.
Results Worth Highlighting: On a recent major project, we achieved:
Over 192,000 cubic yards of concrete placed with 30+ mixes
64 EPDs tracked (30 concrete-specific)
>20% embodied carbon reduction
Over 14,000 metric tons CO₂e avoided—equivalent to removing 3,200 cars from the road for a year
82% waste diversion across seven waste streams
These outcomes weren’t accidental—they were made possible through early engagement, shared ownership, and targeted incentives.
Why This Matters
Construction is where embodied carbon becomes real. It’s where estimates meet execution. And it’s where we have the opportunity—every day—to influence the carbon trajectory of the built environment.
The momentum at this year’s conference made one thing clear: Our industry is ready to lead. But we’ll only get there by building strong partnerships rooted in data, education, and a shared vision for decarbonization.
If you’re working on similar strategies or want to exchange ideas, I’m always eager to connect. Let’s build smarter—together.
