Green building experts are calling for more standard measures of greenhouse-gas emissions that can be used in the development of carbon calculators that quantify the impact of development on the environment. The tool is expected to become a mainstay in green-building design thanks to likely future legislation that will require developers to take carbon footprints into account.
A major limitation of some calculators, particularly those geared more toward consumers, has been the lack of consistency in quantifying greenhouse-gas emissions. “There are standards, but [carbon calculators are] all over the map right now. There’s a lot of smoke and mirrors, frankly,” says Wayne Trusty, president of Athena Institute, an Ontario-based nonprofit that consults on sustainability in the built environment.